Rising Sun
by crownedinvictoryx
Summary: Charming is a nice little place to settle down and build a life for yourself. Even if your brother is in jail and you're hopelessly in love with a member of a feared MC. When Beth moves out to Charming, it's not long until the Sons of Anarchy boys are released from their 14 month stint in prison. And when they are, it's also not long before Beth's world begins to crumble.
1. She's Kinda Hot

**Hi guys! So this is my first Sons of Anarchy fic! I'm not new to to fanfiction writing, but this a new account and I haven't written anything in a while so bear with me! I'm hoping to build this up into a multi-chapter fic because I have a good storyline in my head! It will of course follow the events of the show although I have a little twist on the ending! So this first chapter is just to describe the first time Beth and Juice see each other and to give you an idea of what their first impressions of each other are! I'm more than happy to accept reviews even though there might not be much to review just now! Please be kind :)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

It was always sunny in California. Every day was the same: sun in the morning, sun in the afternoon, sun in the evening. It was something she'd become accustomed to over the past six months. Not that she'd had much choice. It hadn't exactly been her decision to pack up and move to the States in the first place. Not that she ever complained. She knew that she had every right to be angry with her brother, but she also knew he didn't exactly plan on going to prison. And of course, who else better than to handle his affairs during his sentence than his beloved younger sister?

The sun immediately beat down heavily on Beth's bared shoulders as she exited the prison. Visiting hours had finished and she now had to make her way back to her brother's house in Charming. As she walked across the bare, sandy landscape towards the car park, she found herself suddenly distracted. Lined up in a perfect row along the prison fence, sat several shiny, black motorbikes. A group of men stood close by, each wearing what appeared to be a black, leather cut. She knew who they were. Everyone in Charming knew who they were. Hell, some of their kids were students in her class. However, no one in Charming seemed to fear the motorcycle club. Sons of Anarchy. She couldn't even begin to imagine the anarchy in which they partook. The ratio of bikes to men however, Beth noticed, was more than a little off and so, she could only assume that they were waiting on other members being released.

Upon that thought, she heard a guard call out for the gate to be opened. Almost immediately, the group of men began to cheer and holler, shouting loudly as several men made their way through the prison gate. She couldn't help but watch. She found herself quite fascinated by these men and their actions. Beth stood still, her back to the car park but her eyes focused intently on the large group. They greeted each other as though they were family, hugging and affectionately insulting each other, handing the newly free men cuts similar to those already worn. It was quite a sight to behold. As she stared, her eyes unconsciously met with another's.

He stared back blatantly, a smile on his face. Tilting her head slightly, she looked him up and down, analysing him. Black slacks and a blue t-shirt. Simple. Then again, what else was she to expect of a man who had only left prison five minutes ago? Still, even from such a distance, Beth could see that he was handsome. He was relatively tall with a good build. His hair was jet black and cropped short, his skin a few shades darker than any of the other men with him. He was most likely Hispanic. More importantly though, and what had caught her attention in the first place, he had a really nice smile. A really, really nice smile.

"Let's get the hell out of here!"

The voice that called out was loud and commanding. Beth tore her eyes away from the handsome Hispanic to instead focus on the older man who had given the order. As the rest of the men fell into place obediently, it became apparent that this man was in charge of the group.

Her eyes trailed back to the man with the nice smile to find him still watching her. He had clearly paid no attention to the previous command. A fellow member, older, with dark, wild curly hair, approached him and Beth watched as he slapped the back of the younger man's head. Although she could not hear what had been said, she knew they were talking about her; that was clear from the way the curly-haired male turned his eyes up to her, giving her a sarcastic wave, causing his handsome friend to drop his head and push him, obviously embarrassed. A smile found its way to Beth's lips as she raised a hand in response, flipping him off. He laughed and nudged the younger male before pointing at her and saying something, again, that she couldn't hear. Both men made their way towards the row of bikes, mounting their own and starting up. And then, as though a black blue in the distance, a shadow, they were gone.

* * *

Free. They were finally free. After fourteen long months, they were free. No more cells, no more guards; no more prison. They were free.

And yet, all Juice could think about on the ride back to Charming, was the girl he'd seen standing by the parking lot. She had been a good distance away (he would estimate at about half a football field away) but even from that distance, he could tell she was pretty. She was unlike any girl he'd ever seen in Charming. She dressed like a tourist, for one, so it was evident that she was new to town. And she was white as Casper, so he could only assume she was also new to the States. But she didn't seem shy. Dressed in hip-hugging denim shorts and a longer, pale blue shirt that floated around her tiny frame, she definitely stood out. She wore large sunglasses, and let her long, dark hair hang down, hiding a lot of her face. She had something colorful around her right ankle that he assumed was probably some kind of bracelet. She definitely looked like tourist material. But tourists didn't visit prisons. Therefore, it was only logical to believe that she was staying in Charming, was it not? Or at least, living somewhere close to Charming? He wanted to know who she was. He needed to know this girl.

Tig had approved. Then again, Tig would approve of almost anything so long as he could fuck it, that was just his style: not picky. But even Tig could admit when a girl was genuinely worth paying attention to and apparently, flipping him off had been the right way to get his attention. That thought put Juice in two mind: she obviously knew who they were and wasn't afraid, which was good; but there was every chance she would be interested someone other than him. That was, if she didn't already have a relationship. Not that he was specifically looking for a relationship. Although it would be nice to have someone to go home to, like Jax had Tara and Clay had Gemma. Christ, even Opie had Lyla. But what sensible girl would want a relationship with an ex-felon anyway? Quite simply, he didn't stand a chance. And that put him in a real bad mood.

As they drove through the main streets of Charming, sirens began to sound. In a matter of second, they found themselves facing a barricade of cop cars, preventing them from going any further. As they all came to a halt, Juice could only frown, his bad mood worsening. This was not what any of them needed after having just spent fourteen months in a goddamn prison cell.

Only half listening to Lieutenant Roosevelt, Juice found himself distracted by a flash of black. His eyes raised slowly, coming to land on a Chevrolet Camaro. The car was in perfect condition. As it passed them, he could see that it was a recent ZL1 model. Whoever owned that car was one lucky bastard. He watched as it drove a little way down the adjacent street before coming to a stop. The door opened slowly and he spotted a flash of color. It couldn't be. In complete awe, he watched as the pretty girl from the prison emerged onto the street. She flicked her hair back across her shoulders but her sunglasses remained firmly in place. Carefully, she pushed the car door closed and made her way up onto the sidewalk before pausing for a moment outside the door of a little store, unlocking it, he decided. And then, she disappeared from his sight.

"Welcome home, gentlemen."

The sheriff's voice broke Juice's concentration on the pretty prison girl. He tore his eyes away from the little store and back towards the rest of the club. Almost in unison, they started their bikes back up and as soon as the cop cars cleared, they tore off, desperate to get back home.

A smile lit up Juice's face as they rode. She was in Charming. It was a good day: he had been released from prison, and she was in Charming. Freedom and opportunities lay out before him. Life didn't get much better than that.


	2. First Date

**Hey guys! So here's chapter two! I got some really lovely reviews on chapter one so thought it was only right to update as soon as possible! So here it is, their first physical meeting! Let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

It was late, as he rode back into town. Perhaps early, was more accurate, at a little before four in the morning. The sky was still dark although he could see the lighter tones on the horizon, signalling the oncoming of dawn. It was quite a beautiful thing to see, he had to admit.

The wedding party had more or less ended just over half an hour ago and everyone was now heading home some way or another, what with most of them being too drunk to remember their own names never mind operate a vehicle. Juice on the other hand, was painfully sober. He had been part of the crew tasked with taking care of the Russians at the warehouse. Some of the guys, Bobby in particular, had gone back to the wedding to play catch up with the rest of the guys who were already drunk. But Juice was no longer in the mood to drink. He was the Intelligence Officer; a researcher, if you liked. He did not shoot multiple people less than five feet away from him. A strange feeling had settled over him. It had felt good, at first. Almost as though he had officially been accepted by the club. Usually he was just saddled with basic jobs and research. To be given such an important task had made him feel good. But after they had dropped off the bodies, reality had set in. He had just murdered someone. He had actually murdered someone. To avenge Jax. To stop the development of Charming Heights. To protect the club. Were those justified reasons to murder someone? Juice had to admit, he had doubts.

As he drove through the middle of town, a faint glow caught his attention. Pulling his bike to a halt at the end of the street, he squinted slightly, focusing on, what he assumed was, a little shop. The lights were still on, casting a harsh glow out onto the otherwise dark street. The light was however, obstructed slightly by what could only be piles of boxes. A delivery, perhaps? But there was no truck in sight, and it was a little early for deliveries, he would've thought. As he watched, a silhouetted figure appeared on the street. Judging by the long hair and slim body, a female. He watched as she picked up a box and turned, disappearing back into the illuminated store. Curious, Juice rode a little further down the street. As he neared the store, a familiar flash of black caught his eye. The Camaro. His mind began to race. That car belonged to the pretty prison girl! And he had noticed earlier, when they had been stopped by the new sheriff, that she had parked along this particular street. It was a goddamn sign, he just knew it!

Juice parked his bike with ease across the street and practically jumped to his feet. He removed his helmet, resting it carefully on the seat of his bike. His hoodie was still zipped up to hide his cut. That was probably a good thing. Although the residents of Charming did not oppose the club, they certainly weren't too fond of them either. She'd probably heard some horror stories. He didn't want to scare her.

He sucked in a deep breath and crossed the street. His feet hit the sidewalk just as she returned back onto the street but she didn't seem to notice him. Instead, she crouched and picked up the last box from the pile she was working on. He watched as she shuffled it into position against her small body in order to gain a good grip. It was a big box and she was only a small girl; in fact, the box was practically the same size as her upper body. He was impressed.

"Need some help?" he found himself asking.

Her back was to him but upon hearing his question, she turned to stand side on. Her eyes flicked round to him and his breath caught in throat. With the glow of the store behind her, lighting her up, she was very beautiful. Her dark hair settled around her face and across her shoulders neatly. It was dark but he could still see the thousands of tiny freckles that dusted across her face. Her eyes were a strange shade of blue, almost grey but still bright and enticing. He decided that was his favourite feature. Those eyes, he knew already, could convince him to do anything. He remained still as she looked him up and down, his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. After several moments of silence during which Juice had grown nervous, she smiled. A real pretty smile.

"Aye, why not? Grab a box."

Her accent struck him. Similar to Chibs' accent, only somewhat stronger. A Scottish girl? Chibs would probably appreciate that. Her accent was a thousand times better than his though. It had yet to be dulled by the American that now surrounded her and he liked that.

She had turned away from him again and was making her way back into the store. Quickly, Juice picked up the two remaining boxes on the street and followed her inside. The store was small but quaint. Several tables and chairs were spread around the floor area and a large bar sat at the very back. It was the smell however, that let him know it was a coffee shop. So, she owned a coffee shop. That was cute. It was impossible to get into trouble if all you did was own a coffee shop! Then again, he had first seen her leaving prison visiting hours and was now standing in the shop himself. She was in trouble just by letting him help. As was the rules when it came to club members. Trouble was never far behind the Reaper.

Juice set the boxes down neatly, abiding by her apparent stacking method of two boxes per pile. He counted quickly, eight boxes in total. Very precise. He admired that. Stepping back, he dug his hands back into the pockets of his hoodie and turned to look at her, only to find her already watching him. There was an analytical look in her pretty eyes but a small smirk on her lips. She was curious about him, he could tell.

"Not to seem rude," he spoke, finally breaking the silence. "But why are you moving boxes around at almost four in the morning?"

"Shop opens at five." she answered simply. He gave her a questioning look and she continued. "For people who have early starts. Some people start at six so I open at five so they can stop for coffee on their way to work. I shut at midnight for people who work late. I hate taking deliveries half way through the day-"

"So you take them in the middle of the night?" Juice cut her off, clearly questioning her logic. "How's your sleeping pattern?" he asked rhetorically, a short laugh following as he turned his eyes back to the boxes.

"Fucked." she answered honestly. "But I manage."

A silence descended upon them and although it wasn't uncomfortable, Juice wanted to say something. He liked her accent and he liked listening to her talk. It was a little more difficult to quite keep up with her words seeing as she spoke a lot quicker and with a much broader accent than Chibs, but he managed. Not to mention he didn't want to leave yet. He didn't even know her name yet! Now, there was a question. Turning his head, Juice opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

"Why are you still kicking about at this time?"

"It was a friend's wedding. Party's only just ended. I was actually on my way home when I saw the lights." he answered honestly.

She turned to look at him, a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised. She was questioning his answer, he knew it. It wasn't a lie. So, maybe he omitted a few other details but it was still true. After a few seconds, she nodded and turned her eyes back to the boxes. She huffed out a sigh and pursed her lips, throwing her hands onto her hips.

"Well, you're here now so you can be my saviour for the day and help me unpack these boxes if you like?" she asked, without looking to him.

"Yeah, definitely!" Juice answered, nodding like an idiot.

She smiled that pretty smile again and shook her head softly, clearly amused by him. He hoped that was a good sign. She sighed again, a soft, gentle sound this time, and nodded towards the boxes. They moved at the same time, each taking a box and beginning to unpack.

* * *

It took around forty-five minutes to unpack each box. They had worked fairly quietly and Beth was impressed with his sudden acknowledgment of how she liked things. She was slightly OCD when it came to her organisation. She liked everything to have a place, and generally in some kind of order. Her DVD collection, after all, was organised into chronological order.

On the whole, he had been incredibly helpful. He caught on quickly as to where she wanted everything to go and, truthfully, he did most of the work. She felt bad for allowing him to go to such lengths to help her but he didn't complain once, and she knew he wouldn't either. On the plus side however, around half way through the unpacking, he had removed his hoodie and that gave her a chance to check him out up close.

She had been right, when she'd first seen him, on assuming that he was handsome. He had a little mustache growing in that, although she was not a fan of facial hair, or body hair in general, she found cute. His hair was relatively short and slicked back which, she assumed was a result of his attendance at his friend's wedding. He was dressed smartly, another result of the wedding, she assumed. His black shirt was buttoned up neatly, although the sleeves were rolled up, exposing his many tattoos, which she admired. It was a good look on him though. Over his shirt, he wore his cut, unbuttoned. He had been wary at first, about removing his hoodie, until she reminded him that she already knew he was a member of the local MC, as he had afterwards informed her was the general nickname for motorcycle clubs. Beth was sure he had caught her staring at him a few times but if he had, he didn't say anything, he simply smiled and continued working.

When all the boxes were unpacked, he had offered to throw the remaining packaging and mess out for her. She had tried to protest but he hadn't allowed it.

She had settled herself at one of the tables near the bar. The sound of heavy boots alerted her to his return. Beth raised her eyes to meet his as he entered the room again. He smiled at her, a huge, warm grin, and she smiled back. He took a seat opposite her, leaning forward, clasping his hands, and resting his arms atop the small, round table. He simply stared at her and for a few moments, she simply admired the deep brown of his eyes. He wasn't really the kind of guy she would have imagined would be part of an MC.

"You've done so much for me tonight. I feel like I owe you now." she spoke honestly, using one hand to brush her hair away from her face.

"You don't owe me nothin'." he laughed, smiling still. "But," he continued, "If you really feel that way, you could at least tell me your name."

A sudden feeling of stupidity overwhelmed her. She'd spent all this time eyeing him up, letting him help her and she hadn't even so much as told him her name. Talk about a lack of manners. She mentally slapped herself. Then again, he hadn't given her his name either.

"Beth." she smiled, sitting up straight and holding out her hand, a smile on her lips as she introduced herself.

"Juice." he replied with a smile, taking her hand in his.

His hands were huge in comparison to hers. To look at, they were complete opposites: she small and skinny, he tall and lithe; she pale and freckled, he tanned and clear-skinned; her blue eyes and his brown eyes. Their only common feature was their hair colour and even at that, her's was dyed. She almost regretted that choice now. Her natural blonde would have perfectly completed the opposition. They were, for lack of a better expression, a contrast. She liked that.

"Juice?" she questioned with a slight laugh.

"It's a nickname." he admitted, ducking his head somewhat shyly despite his smile.

"You got a real name?" she asked, carefully pulling her hand away from his, allowing them both to return to their previous positions.

"Juan Carlos." he answered her. "But most people just call me Juice."

"Well, _Juice_ ," she laughed, making a point of emphasising his name. "D'you want some coffee?"

He laughed softly and nodded his head in confirmation. Beth smiled lightly and got to her feet, making her way towards the bar. As she stepped behind and moved towards the coffee machine, she heard the scrape of a chair followed by heavy footsteps. A smile came to her lips as she realised he had moved with her. She could feel his eyes on her and glanced over her shoulder to find him leaning against the counter. It took him a moment or two to notice she had turned but when he did, he quickly averted his eyes from her ass, a sheepish and slightly embarrassed smile on his lips.

"How d'you take your coffee?" she asked, turning back to the machine, still smiling.

"Uh, just black, two sugars." he replied.

As she prepared the coffee, silence filled the air once again. It was comfortable though, and it let her think. She had heard the stories that came with the Sons of Anarchy men. None of them were good. She had learned quickly that, although the town accepted the club, they were not particularly fond of the club's actions. She had also learned quickly that the club contributed a lot of money to the town. It didn't take a genius to realise the reason the town were so willing to accept the Sons despite their nature. Money really did make the world go round. Still, the stories involving these men were anything but fairy tales. In fact, they were mostly horrific. They were also mostly rumours. It put Beth in two minds. On the one hand, she really shouldn't be getting involved with a club who were, for all intents and purposes, considered more of a gang. On the other hand, Juice was really sweet and good looking and she was struggling to get that smile out of her mind.

"Here you go." she smiled lightly, turning and handing Juice a takeaway cup of coffee.

He thanked her cheerfully and took a quick sip. All of sudden, his smile fell and he raised his eyes to hers. He seemed somewhat worried, and that worried her.

"I don't have any money with me." he spoke simply.

Beth stared at him for a moment before kinking a brow and tilting her head. Was he being serious. Loud, highly amused laughter burst from her. She raised one hand and covered her mouth as if trying to conceal her laughter but it made little difference. He stared at her as though she were insane.

"Juice," she attempted to speak through her laughter. "You've spent almost an hour helping me bring in boxes, unpack those boxes and then dispose of the rubbish left by those boxes. D'you honestly think I'm gonna make you pay for a bloody coffee?"

Her laughter had yet to subside and her eyes were now beginning to water. Juice stared at her blankly for a moment, as if the thought hadn't even occured to him. After a moment however, he smiled that wide, bright smile of his and ducked his head, uttering another thanks.

"So," he spoke after she had finally stopped laughing at him. "I can't imagine you moved all the way out to Charming to open a coffee shop."

She took the hint. He wanted to know her story. Had anyone else asked, she would have told them to stick their curiosity up their arse, but she didn't mind telling Juice.

"You saw me at the prison." she spoke softly, shrugging a shoulder and ducking her head. "My brother's in there. This is his shop, actually. He was arrested a few months ago. Apparently he'd been selling drugs out of the shop." she paused and reached down, picking up an empty takeaway cup. She showed it to him and tapped the bottom. "False bottoms." she explained, setting the cup down back in its place. "Kids would come in and order a specific coffee and he'd sell it in specific cups. The bottoms came away and the drugs were hidden in there, between the real bottom of the cup and the fake one. It was a good idea, really. Too clever for my brother. Came back to bite him in the ass. Some kid was snorting lines in the bathroom. Almost OD'd right here in the shop. Police were called, ambulance was called. Kid was carted off to hospital and Evan, my brother, was arrested. Kid survived in the end up and all but, they kept Evan. His final hearing is next week."

Her nails tapped relentlessly against the sides of her own coffee cup. She hated talking about her brother's stupidity. It angered her. To think he could get away with something like that! He'd almost killed someone; a kid! Juice's hands engulfed hers all of a sudden, preventing her from tapping any further. She raised her eyes to his to find him looking at her. He didn't appear sympathetic, which she appreciated. He didn't appear judgemental, which surprised her. He was just, listening.

"That sounds shit." he spoke.

Beth laughed loudly again. She nodded softly, smiling. Well, he was certainly honest, at least. Her laughter was interrupted suddenly by a yawn. Her hands flew to cover her mouth, which made Juice laugh.

"Sorry," she apologised. "It's been a long day."

"It's almost five. Are you working the morning shift?" Juice asked curiously.

"Nah, I don't usually work weekends. I work enough through the week, I deserve to actually sleep sometimes." she responded with a laugh.

"Well then, I'd say its home time for you." he spoke, getting to his feet. "Come on, turn everything off. I'll walk you out."

Beth smiled softly, nodding. She quickly switched off everything behind the bar before stepping out. Disappearing quickly into the back room, she grabbed her keys before returning to the main area to find Juice pulling his hoodie on.

"I dunno how you can wear that great big hoodie in this weather." she judged, making him laugh.

"You're just used to the cold. This must be a ridiculous temperature for you." he replied, a teasing tone to his voice.

She laughed softly and nodded in agreement. They made their way to the door, Beth switching off the lights as they left. She paused outside the shop to pull the door closed and lock it, Juice remaining by her side. As she turned back to him, she noticed the police car sitting a little ways down the street.

"That your shadow?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of the car.

Juice turned his head to see what she was looking at. She heard him curse under his breath as he looked back to her. He looked thoroughly pissed off. The sky had lightened up a little and she could see in the soft light the anxious look in his eyes.

"It's because of the parole, we-" he tried to explain.

She shook her head and raised her hand, cutting him off. He closed his mouth abruptly and she smiled up at him softly. He looked confused.

"I saw you being released. I dunno what you did but clearly it was enough to serve time. You served that time and you were released. I don't care what you did or why they're following you around town. You don't need to explain yourself to me."

Beth watched his face light up. He looked like someone had just given him a present on Christmas Day. Clearly her words had pleased him. Without any kind of warning, she was suddenly enveloped in his arms. He held her tightly. His body was warm and his arms strong. She could feel the leather of his cut beneath his hoodie. He smelled like leather. And gas. And a little bit of aftershave. Coffee and weed tinged his breath, not that she minded. Actually, she kind of liked it.

When he eventually pulled back, he had a sheepish look on his face and he dug his hands deep into the pockets of his hoodie quickly. She smiled at him.

"I'm working here Monday morning. Five til eight." she informed him.

He tilted his head and eyed her curiously, as if he wasn't quite sure what she meant. His brows furrowed as he frowned in confusion and Beth couldn't help but think he looked ridiculously cute. She needed to clarify her intention.

"Just in case you fancied a second date."


	3. Burnin' For You

**Alright folks, here's chapter three! I wrote this instead of revising which is why it's so long! So this is based off of 4x02! I've decided to write each chapter based on each episode! One episode per chapter is the method to my madness! Again, let me know what you think! I love your reviews, it gives me motivation!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

A sharp, shrill sound pierced the air. It rang loud and clear, heard throughout the entire building. It was 3:30pm and finally, the school day was over, for both the students and for Beth. The sound of rustling filled the classroom and she raised her head to find her students almost desperate to escape the confines of the school walls.

"Alright folks, I'll see you all tomorrow!"

Her voice rang out over the students as they practically ran for the door. She wasn't surprised. No teenager liked school. Not all the time, at least.

However, it had been a good day. She had, had Senior's first and then Sophomore's. Junior's had come after that and finally, Freshmen. The school term hadn't long started and so work wasn't all too serious yet, which meant she had a lot of freedom in her classes for the time being. However, it was equally as short a time until everything became very serious and exam season set in. One thing Beth liked about school, was the consistancy in its ever-changing ways. In other words, it was guaranteed that every day would be entirely different. But that was the life of a teacher. That was what she'd signed herself up for.

She walked along the empty corridors slowly, barely noticing her surroundings. She had other things on her mind and she wanted nothing more than to go home and sulk.

Juice hadn't made an appearance at the coffee shop that morning. Beth had to admit, she was rather disappointed by his absence. Maybe he hadn't thought her serious when she suggested a second date. Then again, he had seemed thoroughly overjoyed at the thought of seeing her again. He was sweet, and innocent, and very easy on the eyes. It had hurt her a little to have him stand her up. She had truly believed he would make an appearance, if only for ten minutes or so. Apparently not.

Her thoughts were disrupted by a little blonde head standing by the school gates. Beth frowned softly and slowed her pace further. It took her a few seconds but she eventually identified the girl as Ellie Winston. She was a Freshman, and a pretty smart little girl too. She was one of Beth's students. She checked her watch quickly to find that it was now fifteen minutes after the final bell. Ellie should be home by now. So why was she still standing by the gate?

"Ellie?"

Her little blonde head whipped around, a soft, sad smile on her lips. She looked utterly helpless standing there alone. It tugged harshly on Beth's heartstrings.

"Hi, Miss Ryan." Ellie greeted, as cheerily as her voice would allow.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Beth asked, stopping to stand beside the girl.

"Lyla was supposed to pick me up." she spoke simply, looking back out to the car park. "She hasn't shown up yet. I don't think she's coming."

Ellie's voice was strong as she explained herself but still, there was the subtlest hint of sadness. Clearly, she was hurt by the fact Lyla hadn't come to pick her up. Beth knew that Lyla was Ellie's new step-mother. She was a nice girl as far as Ellie had said. It seemed a little out of character for her to have forgotten her new step-daughter.

"D'you want a lift?" Beth offered.

Ellie's eyes shot up faster than a damn rocket, a sudden excitement in them. A smile had spread across her face and she adjusted her backpack on her shoulders before speaking.

"Really? Like in your car?" she asked.

"Well, if you'd rather sit on the handlebars of a bike- "

"Oh no!" Ellie protested, cutting her off. "It's just, your car is awesome! Everyone in class says so!" the girl gushed, making Beth laugh.

"Well good, cause I haven't had a bike since I was about eight." she confessed, beginning to walk towards her car, Ellie falling into step beside her. "So," she spoke, unlocking her car. "Where are you headed?"

"TM."

* * *

The thing was falling apart. If it hadn't been for the fact that it was still, at least somewhat, put together, Juice wouldn't have known it had ever been a bike in the first place. Whatever Unser had done to the damn thing, it had destroyed it.

"When's the last time you rode this?" he asked, tossing yet another broken part aside.

"I think I had hair." came Unser's reply.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. Well, that certainly explained a lot. Before he had a chance to respond to the ex-Chief, he was off in deep conversation with Clay, leaving Juice standing by the bike alone.

Just as he prepared to go back to work, his eye was caught by the same flash of black that had been catching his attention for a few days now. Juice straightened up, blatantly staring as the Camaro was parked with ease. From its passenger side, jumped out little Ellie Winston. That was funny, he could've sworn Lyla was picking Ellie up. And more to the point, how in the hell did Ellie know his pretty prison girl? His eyes flicked to the driver's side of the car and he watched as the door opened. Black stilettos hit the concrete beautifully, strange, bright colors wrapping around her right ankle, just as he had seen that first day he had been released. Slowly, the rest of her body emerged from the car. She looked different. She wore a white, long sleeved blouse that floated softly around her upper body as a result of it being tucked neatly into a very tight, black, knee-length pencil skirt. Her hair was tied up in a very loose, messy bun. Yes, she looked different. She looked sexy as hell. Juice was suddenly very self-conscious of his overalls.

Her eyes caught his and widened slightly. He smiled nervously. She was probably mad at him. He had slept in that morning and had missed what she had generously offered as a second date. He hadn't even known that helping her unpack boxes counted as a first date but if a girl who looked like Beth was willing to see him again, he certainly was not going to complain. Question it, maybe, but not complain. Having only woken up at quarter to eight that morning, he had gotten showered and dressed in record time. He'd made it to the coffee shop around quarter past eight but he was too late; she was already gone. And seeing as how he didn't have her number or her address, he had no way of letting her know that he hadn't stood her up, he was just an idiot. To put it simply, he'd blown it.

Ellie must have noticed the little staring match going on between the pair because she called his name, catching his attention. She waved him over. His eyes flicked back to Beth, to find her looking at Ellie, a look of surprise on her face. Dread settled in his stomach. He was in trouble now, he knew it. But still, he sucked in a breath, and made his way over.

"Juice, this is my English teacher, Miss Ryan! How cool is her car!" Ellie exclaimed loudly as he reached them.

"Hey, Ellie." he smiled wide, ruffling her hair and making her blush. "Yeah, it's real cool. Lucky lady to have a car like that."

His eyes flicked up to meet Beth's. Bright blue and shiny, not the seemingly light gray of the first night they met. There was a shimmer of interest in them and a subtle smirk on her lips. She seemed amused. Maybe he wasn't in as much trouble as he had first thought.

Ellie had merely smiled and announced that Beth was now officially her favourite teacher, which had caused her to blush and duck her head, an action Juice found rather cute. He had agreed with Ellie and smiled wide, making both girls blush. On that note, Ellie announced that she had to go tell Gemma she was back from school and skipped off towards the office, leaving him standing alone with his pretty prison girl.

"So, you're Ellie's teacher." he spoke, attempted to break the growing tension between them. "Why didn't I know that?"

"You didn't ask." she answered simply, but with a smile on her lips.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked, hoping that the direct approach would prevent her from being mad at him.

Beth simply smiled that pretty smile of hers and allowed herself to give a soft laugh. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the hood of her car. Her legs however, remained straight and she crossed her left ankle over her right. She looked so strict and demanding. He was suddenly feeling rather hot under his overalls.

"That depends on what your explanation is." she answered.

Oh God, she was giving him a chance to explain himself. Things like this only happened in dreams! Pretty girls did not ask for second dates let alone allow for second chances when that second date was royally screwed. He sucked in a deep breath and crossed his arms, mirroring her.

"I uh...didn't set an alarm." he spoke sheepishly. "I did go to the shop! But uh, it was already quarter past eight and you were already gone. I didn't know you were heading off to another job." he explained.

She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, as if thinking about whether or not to accept his excuse as reasonable. He really wanted a chance to make it up to her, if she'd allow it. There was a teasing glint in her eye, which gave him hope.

"Would it help if I said you look really, really great today."

She laughed as he gestured towards her with one hand. Carefully, she slid her body a little further up the car, thus leaving more space to one side of her body.

"Come sit with me, idiot." she teased, her laughter fading into a pretty smile.

A wide smile spread across his face and he moved towards her. Sitting himself beside her, Juice watched as she recrossed her ankles, this time right over left. His eyes lingered on the bright colors around her right ankle, now clearly visible to him. Three large, delicately detailed roses circled the area. One purple, one red and one blue. Each rose overlapping the one after it. They were quite beautiful.

"You have ink." he commented, surprise in his tone.

"What? Think you were the only one?" she asked slyly in response.

His eyes raised to meet hers, mischief shining in the deep blue. Beth was a curious girl. Her appearance screamed tourist yet she fit in so well. She appeared to be a quaint coffee shop owner yet actually taught English to high schoolers. She seemed so innocent and girly yet had tattoos and drove an updated muscle car. She was the exact opposite of everything she appeared to be. He liked that.

"Okay smart ass, got anything else?" he asked, laughing.

"Nothing I can show you in public." she responded quietly.

Well fuck. If his overalls had been hot before, they were past boiling point now. He'd known this girl all of four days. Of those four days, he'd seen her three times. Of those three sightings, he'd spoken to her twice. And here he was, sitting in the middle of TM's parking lot, with the pretty prison girl, struggling to keep himself in check. But damn, she did look good. He'd never liked teachers. All of his teachers at school had been mean, ugly, old things. But Beth was every boy's fantasy teacher. She was like something straight out of a porn video, only a hell of a lot classier.

"Juice!"

His name being called from across the lot pulled him from his less than innocent thoughts. His head turned quickly to find Tig waving him towards the club house. That wasn't good. He nodded in response before turning back to Beth.

"I'll be five minutes or so, wait for me? I'll make it up to you for missing our date this morning." he smiled cheekily.

* * *

It was a nice, warm day. As it always was in California. Juice had disappeared into what Ellie had explained was the MC's club house. A few minutes after he had disappeared, Ellie had returned, bringing an older woman with her. Ellie had introduced her as Gemma, the wife of the club's President. She seemed to be a nice enough woman. She had asked Beth about Juice but there wasn't much to tell. She wasn't sure whether or not Gemma was satisfied by that information. Ellie had told her not worry about Gemma, that she didn't like any of the new girls around the club, it wasn't personal. Beth wasn't quite sure how to feel about that information.

"So, how do you know Juice?" Ellie asked, leaning against the car beside her.

"You know how I own the coffee shop in town?" the older woman asked, glancing down and taking note of Ellie's nod of confirmation. "Well, the night your dad and Lyla got married, Juice was on his way home from the reception and I was bringing in a delivery for the shop. He stopped to help." she then explained.

"That's sweet. Juice is a nice guy." the younger girl commented plainly.

"I saw the way you blushed when he smiled at you." Beth teased. "Got a thing for him, Ellie?"

"He's alright." Ellie blushed.

The blonde girl ducked her head shyly, making Beth laugh. She reached out and ruffled Ellie's hair, similar to the way Juice had earlier. She glanced around the open lot. She had to admit, with some of the men she had seen hanging around the lot, it was no surprise that Ellie liked coming here. She was only a young girl, after all. She had yet to learn that most guys were actually assholes.

"Here he comes." Ellie spoke.

Beth raised her eyes to look at the club house. Several men had exited, all wearing similar clothes, most heading towards their bikes but Juice heading towards her and Ellie. She noted that he had also changed his clothing. He no longer wore the grey overalls with his name on them, but rather dark slacks and a hoodie which, she assumed, was covering up his cut. She had noticed earlier, practically the minute she stepped out of her car, in fact, that his hairstyle had change. It was shaved neatly and cropped short to create a rather precise mohawk. The change had revealed two rather interesting tribal tattoos placed on either side of the mohawk. She had been struggling not to stare, if she were honest. They gave him an edge, making him look harder and more dangerous. They were also kinda hot. She had always loved a man with tattoos.

Before Juice could cross the lot, every single person present was distracted by the sudden appearance of two or three police cars. They pulled to a stop very close to where boys' bikes' were parked.

"What's going on?" Ellie asked quietly.

"I don't know." Beth replied.

The fear in Ellie's voice was evident. From the first car, the sheriff emerged, a rather smug look on his face. That was all Beth needed to see. This was not going to go well and Ellie didn't need to be around to see whatever was going to happen.

"Ellie, sweetheart, wait here, I'm gonna go ask Gemma if it's alright for you to come to the coffee shop with me for a while." she spoke firmly.

The little blonde nodded and Beth stood, making her way towards the office. Gemma was standing in the doorway, simply watching and analysing. Beside Gemma, stood a man she only knew as the ex-Chief of Police of Charming.

"Gemma?" she asked, catching the older woman's attention. "I'm gonna take Ellie to the coffee shop for a while, if that's alright with you?"

"Leave me your number and I'll call you when it's good to bring her back."

* * *

It was a little after midnight when Juice left the club house. The party was in full swing after Tara had announced her engagement to Jax. Of course, everyone was happy for them. It was the right kind of pick up the club needed after the beating the club house had received earlier in the day. It had taken a lot of restraint for he and the other club members to stand by and let the sheriff hammer at their very foundations like that. It hurt deep in his very soul. He had of course, had a drink or two with the rest of the guys to celebrate Jax and Tara but he couldn't help but notice her absence. She had been gone by the time they'd returned from retrieving Jax and Opie. Gemma had said that she'd done good by the club, that she'd taken Ellie out of the danger zone. He agreed with Gemma on that one. No kid needed to see the things Ellie might have seen that day. He knew that Beth hadn't had the intention of helping the club. She'd simply recognized that the club house, at that time, was somewhere Ellie did not need to be. But in doing so, in stepping up, she had gained herself favour with Gemma, however little it may be.

He had debated calling her. Apparently she'd left Gemma her number. He could've asked her to come to the club house. He'd wanted to. But he didn't know her well enough yet to bring her into his world. Not to mention it would raise all sorts of suspicions and curiosities and that was something he wasn't sure how to deal with yet. And so, he found himself walking to the coffee shop.

The light was still on, which he took as a good sign. She hadn't left for home yet. As he reached the door, the lights inside were extinguished. The door opened and she almost walked right into him. He stepped back and laughed softly at the surprised look on her face.

"Christ, you tryin' to kill me?" she asked loudly, one hand still holding the door open whilst the other, which clutched her keys, flew to her chest to cover her heart. He could only smile.

"Why would I wanna kill a pretty thing like you?" he asked boldly.

His words were slightly slurred. He was slightly drunk. God, he hoped she wouldn't notice. Her laughter told him she did.

"You drunk?" she asked, smiling.

She stepped out onto the street and he stepped back again. She turned her back to him, pulling the door of the little shop closed and locking it carefully. He waited until she had turned back to him to answer her, honestly.

"Maybe a little."

She laughed again and he watched as she looked up and down the street. He imitated her action, wondering what she was looking for. It occured to him then that, he hadn't been followed by any of Roosevelt's cops. It also occured to him that her car was nowhere to be seen.

"You didn't drive?" he asked, frowning.

"Neither did you, I hope." she teased, laughing as he shook his head exaggeratedly.

"Nope, I was a good boy." he smiled wide. "Why didn't you drive?"

"It was a nice day. I walked over with Ellie." she answered.

He stepped back and looked her over. Ellie wasn't with her anymore. She must've gone home. Juice did notice however, that she had changed her clothes. She now wore a tight fitting, purple vest top which was tucked into a high-waisted pair of denim shorts. She still looked hot, no matter what she wore. He noted that her arms were crossed tightly across her body.

"Are you cold?" he quizzed, his eyes narrowing.

"No, it's just nice." she answered.

He didn't really listen to her. Instead, he unzipped his hoodie and shook it off, revealing his cut and the white t-shirt beneath it. He reached out and pulled his hoodie around her shoulders. It draped over her tiny frame like a cape, hanging further down her legs than her shorts. He smiled when she laughed and slipped her arms inside the sleeves.

"Thanks. But won't you get in trouble? Ellie told me you're supposed to have the cut covered. Something to do with your parole?" she asked, sounding worried.

"Ah, fuck the parole. Roosevelt's a dick anyways." he responded.

She laughed loudly and reached for him. She slipped her arm through his and turned, leading him down the street. They walked side by side, arms linked, in comfortable silence for a little while. Every now and then he looked down at her, as if making sure she was still there. She looked real pretty under the streetlights. She looked real pretty wearing his hoodie too. That was a sight he hoped he would never forget. Finally, she broke the silence.

"So, you gonna tell me what the hell you've done to your hair?" she laughed.

"It's always like this." he shrugged. "I like it, makes me look bad ass." he explained, making her laugh. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah, Juice," she laughed, pushing her own hair out of her face. "I like it."

The silence resumed and they walked comfortably together. Every so often, she would tug on his arm to keep him walking straight. So, maybe he drank more than he thought. But she didn't seem to mind. Every now and then she would laugh at his stumblings. He liked listening to her laugh. He liked making her laugh. As they walked, he told her stupid, funny stories to make her laugh, smiling like an idiot when he succeeded.

They walked until his eyes caught sight of her Camaro. He recognised the street vaguely. He usually passed it on his way home from TM. Good, that meant she was close to the club house and to his own house. He felt like that was a win. When they reached the car, they stopped and he turned to face her.

"Since I'm slightly tipsy and bold enough, can I have your number?" he asked, raising a brow at her.

She smiled up at him and laughed. She held her hand out and he reached into his pocket, handing her his personal cell with a smile. She tapped away quickly before handing it back to him. He cheerily glanced down and returned it to his pocket. As he raised his eyes once more, he found that she had removed his hoodie. That made him frown.

"You can keep that, I have-"

He was cut off by the gentle press of the hoodie against his chest. He gripped it, holding against him. He frowned slightly, which only made her smile. Everything after that happened in slow motion. Beth moved up onto her tip toes and leaned towards him. Her eyes closed innocently. Her lips touched his. He stood, stunned by the gentle and perfectly innocent kiss. After a second or two, she pulled back. He gazed down at her, his eyes still wide with shock.

"Goodnight, Juice." she smiled.

He felt her hands release the hoodie and she took a few steps back before turning and beginning to make her way up the garden path, his eyes following her. Just before she reached the door, she paused and looked back at his still perfectly immobilised form.

"Call me. As far as dates go, I think you're aiming for third time lucky."

With that, she unlocked the door, and entered the cute little house. He remained still until he heard the door close. Only then did he move. He turned slowly, continuing down the street. He was still in shock. That one, tiny, little kiss had sobered him up. Beth had just kissed him. After everything she'd seen at the club house that day, she'd just kissed him! More than that, she wanted to see him again! A wide smile spread across his lips.

"Shit."


	4. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off

**Hello my darlings! So here's chapter four! This chapter is basically nothing but sassiness and fluff so enjoy! I'd like to say thank you for all the reviews I've been getting! They legit make me smile like an idiot, please keep them coming! I love to know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

It was a busy day in the cop shop apparently. Every seat was filled, paper was strewn across desks and phones were ringing non-stop. And yet, throughout all of the frantic rushing around that seemed to be going on, Roosevelt had still found time to pick him up under the pretence of a bullshit drug charge. He had a damn card, he should've known something was up when they cuffed him anyway. God, he felt so stupid!

Roosevelt, on the other hand, was very clever, it seemed. Juice didn't know how he had found the information on his father, but he sure as hell wanted to know! Especially since the smug ass sheriff had made it evident, in not so many words, that he planned to use it against him. This was not a good situation to be in. It had never been actually confirmed, but every member knew that by unspoken law, the Sons of Anarchy did not accept black members. There was no prejudice or anything, he knew that, just outdated rules that were never discussed and thus, still upheld.

He left Roosevelt's office as quickly as he could. He needed to get the hell out of there and figure out what he was going to do in his current predicament. It was less than favourable, to say the least.

He rounded the corner a little quicker than perhaps he should have and his body collided hard against someone. Long, dark hair flew around his face as a result of the crash and he reached out quickly, grabbing at the smaller person, whom he had identified as female. He pushed against her softly, simultaneously stepping back himself in order to create some distance between them. His eyes were down and so he didn't see the face of girl before him, but he didn't need to. The colorful roses wrapped around her ankle and the black stilettos gave her away.

"Fuck!"

He heard her call out but still did not look up. Instead, his eyes trailed slowly up the lily white skin of her exposed legs. She was wearing that tight, black, pencil skirt again. He wondered how good her ass looked in that skirt. Great, he'd bet. She wore a deep red colored shirt today, as opposed to the white one she had worn yesterday, when he had last seen her. He liked this shirt better, he decided, as he eyed her subtly exposed cleavage. Well, that certainly took his mind off of his shitty day.

"Juice?"

Her voice was loud and she was clicking her fingers in his face. He blinked repeatedly before looking up. He still had his hands on her, gripping tightly just above her elbows. She hadn't pulled out of his grip though, which confused him a little. It couldn't have been comfortable on her skin. He released her slowly and chuckled nervously. He rubbed a hand over his head and raised his eyes to meet hers.

"Sorry, guess I just couldn't wait to get through that door." he apologised shyly, dropping his eyes

"Correct me if I'm wrong but, didn't you just get out of trouble?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"It's uh, a long story." he answered her.

He didn't really want to have to explain that he'd just been picked up on a drug charge, regardless of how bullshit it was or not. His eyes raised from the floor to meet hers, expecting to see judgement in the pretty blue. Instead, he saw amusement. Amazing! First off, she'd watched as he was released from prison. Then she'd pulled him up on his annoying cop shadows and his parole. Now, she'd literally run into him in the sheriff's station and after all of that, she remained totally unfazed. Any sensible man would question that even without Juice's level of paranoia. He made a mental note to look into Beth's background. Just to make sure she wasn't a total psycho or anything. No sane girl would want anything to do with him along with his criminal record and club. It occured to him then that, she was in th sheriff's station. Why?

"Wait, why are you here? Did something happen? Are you alright?" he asked, a worried undertone in his voice, making her laugh.

"I'm fine, Juice. I'm just dropping off some," she paused and waved a stack of papers at him. "Order lists and receipts for the past month. After everything that happened with my brother and the shop, Lieutenant Roosevelt," he did not miss the snarky way she said his name. "Wants copies everything I order in. Making sure I don't pick up where my brother left off or something like that."

Juice nodded in understanding. Truthfully, he could relate to Roosevelt's request on this one. Although, it must be shit for Beth to have to trail in and out with records of everything she did. It was like being bugged only she was cooperating. Kind of like the situation he was about to get himself into.

"Miss Ryan. Mr Ortiz."

The voice came from behind him. He could see Beth lean to the side slightly, a little too small to see over his shoulder. He followed her gaze to find Roosevelt standing by the corner Juice had previously raced around. The sheriff was eyeing them both curiously, a disturbing little gleam in his eye.

"I wasn't aware you two were acquainted." Roosevelt spoke, eyeing Juice in particular.

"It's one of the things that isn't actually your business Lieutenant. Now come on, I want this over with, I have things to do."

Beth's voice caught the attention of both men. Did that actually just happen? Juice eyed her appreciatively whilst Roosevelt simply glared at her. She was a fiery little thing now, wasn't she? He knew there was a reason he had liked his pretty prison girl. She looked up at him, smirking softly as she noticed his blatantly amused expression.

"You can call me later. Tell me your long story." she spoke quietly.

She took a small step towards him and tiptoed, pressing a gentle, fleeting little kiss to his cheek. When she pulled back, he could only nod. He watched, still amused as she made her way past Roosevelt and towards his office, the sheriff following her, his annoyance evident.

With a cocky smile, Juice turned back towards the door. His bike was still at Clear Passages, so he'd need to walk back and pick it up. Not that he minded. It gave him time to think. Beth was a strange girl. She didn't seem too fazed by anything and he liked that, even if he questioned it. It would work well for her in the club. Plus, he really did like that work outfit of hers. It certainly didn't hurt the situation. Still, he would read into her. He felt that it was necessary. He didn't want to be surprised by anything. And if he was already feeling an attraction to her, he especially didn't want there to be anything wrong with her. One thing he'd been right about though; her ass did look great in that skirt.

* * *

The words were glaring up at her angrily, as if trying to intimidate her. She was twenty-five essays deep into marking Senior work and still had another five to go. Truthfully, she was slowly losing the will to live. Most of the essays were basically the same. Clearly some sharing of information had happened. Beth didn't mind that, to be honest. She just wished the kids at least had enough savvy to reword the copied sections and make it a little less noticeable.

Juice had called five or so minutes ago and asked to see her. As she had glared down at a sentence she had already read nine times, she had happily invited him over. Maybe his presence would make her less inclined to start drinking at only quarter to five in the afternoon.

Three quick raps sounded from the door. Setting down her pen, Beth got to her feet and made her way over. She peeked through the peephole to find Juice standing on the other side. Tugging the door open, she greeted him with a smile. But he wasn't looking at her. Instead, his eyes were floating all across her body. She suddenly felt rather self-conscious. She hadn't made much of an effort after getting home. She'd thrown on a stripey pair of cotton pyjama shorts and an old grey vest top with an oversized hoodie zipped up over herself. She reached up and began to pull at the side of the hoodie which had slipped down her shoulder when his hand stopped her.

"Having a lazy day?" he asked, a cocky smirk coming to his lips.

Her self-consciousness disappeared immediately at that smirk. She dropped her hand from the hoodie and instead crossed her arms over her chest. She stepped back slightly to let him enter. He did so, not once taking his eyes off of her.

"I don't have to be at the coffee shop until eight so I figured I didn't have to make too much effort. I am sitting in my own house after all." she responded, a teasing tone to her voice. "Then you called."

She closed the door and took a moment to look him over. He wasn't paying attention to her now, his eyes instead inspecting her home. It wasn't particularly grand but it was homely and that was what she liked. She liked it even better with Juice standing there. He had removed his hoodie and now held it in his hand. She could see the giant Reaper on the back of his cut, reminding anyone who saw it that, despite the soft brown eyes and killer smile, he wasn't a man to be messed with.

"You're working again?" his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Aye." she stated plainly, shrugging one shoulder. "I like money."

He laughed and turned to face her at last. He had that wide smile on his lips and she couldn't help but smile in return. This was all very surreal. She was standing in her brothers home, which she had bought, with a man who was considered a gang member and was also a convicted felon, and they were discussing her hectic work schedule. It felt so normal yet so abnormal all at once.

"You want a coffee or something?" she asked, making her way to the kitchen.

She could hear him following her down the hall, his boots heavy on the laminated flooring. It was somewhat comforting. As they entered the kitchen, Beth made her way towards the kettle whilst Juice situated himself at the little island counter in the middle of the floor area, setting his hoodie beside him.

"These your essays?" she heard him ask.

She pulled two mugs from one of the top cupboards before glancing at him over her shoulder. His eyes were focused on the papers spread across the countertop, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"That's them." she responded, flicking the switch on the kettle to let it boil.

"What the-" he trailed off, an essay in each hand and he looked up at her. "What is this supposed to be?"

"To Kill A Mockingbird." Beth answered nonchalantly.

She moved towards the counter, standing opposite him. She reached out and took the essay from him, returning them to their original place. She noticed the slight smile he gave her but didn't comment on it. Instead, she lifted one of the essays yet to be marked and placed it in front of him.

"They were supposed to write about the theme of race throughout the novel with reference to historical events. Have a read, tell me what you think."

She had noticed the way he tensed at the mention of the essay topic. Clearly a touchy subject. She didn't ask about it. Instead, she turned back towards the kettle and prepared the coffee. By the time she turned back, Juice had flipped over onto the second page of the essay. She placed the coffee in front of him and he glanced up, setting the essay back in its place and giving her a soft smile.

"Thanks." he nodded, taking a sip.

"Give up?" she asked, nodding her head towards the essays.

"I don't know how you do it. I don't even wanna read one of those things never mind thirty." he scoffed, making her laugh.

Setting herself in one of the stools around her little island counter, Beth didn't miss the way he watched her. His eyes were focused but dull, as if he was upset about something but trying not to think about it. She wondered if it had something to do with the reason he had been in the police station. She knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help herself.

"So, fancy telling me your long story now?"

He frowned slightly, clearly confused by her question. After a second or two though, his features relaxed in understanding before quickly tensing up again. She got the feeling he didn't want to talk about it.

"You know the weed shop downtown?" he asked, and she nodded. "I own 20%. Was there helping out a friend. They picked me up on some bullshit drug charge."

He didn't explain any further, which let her know that there was something he wasn't telling her. She didn't push it though. She had been in town long enough to know that if the Sons of Anarchy wanted something to remain a secret, it would go to the grave.

"They let you go though, so it's not gonna hold, right?" she asked softly.

"Nah, it won't hold. But what about you?" he asked. "It must be shit to have Roosevelt up your ass about the coffee shop all the time."

"He's a wanker." Beth rolled her eyes. "Thinks he's showing everyone who's in charge by keeping everyone in line. He needs a good kicking."

Juice laughed loudly, causing Beth to look up. His eyes had lightened a little and he was clearly amused. She frowned at him, confused as to his reaction, which only made him laugh more.

"You're an aggressive little thing, aren't you?" he teased.

Beth rolled her eyes again and picked up her cup, taking a long sip of her coffee. His laughter had subsided a little and his eyes were focused on her once again. He looked much happier than when he'd first entered her home. He'd been there ten minutes and she'd aready brightened his mood. She took that as a win. It made her smile.

"I'm sorry, you're just funny. And the accent just makes it funnier." he smiled.

"You think my accent's funny?" she asked, raising an eyebrow mockingly, daring him to say yes.

"Among other things." he answered, a suggestive tone to his voice.

She couldn't read his expression and that annoyed her. She wanted to know what he thought of her! Beth had never been good with secrets. She knew when to push and when to leave it alone, any sensible girl did. And she knew this was something she could push. She opened her mouth to ask him what he'd meant but he spoke first.

"So, back to your ridiculous work life. How often do you actually work?" he asked, curiosity in his eyes as he sipped from his cup.

"Well, I only work weekdays. I work from five til eight at the shop and then come back here to change. Then I work nine til half three at the school. Back here, usually for a quick nap or to finish off some markings. Then back to the shop from eight til midnight. Then bed."

Beth ticked off the job sections on her fingers, watching in amusement as Juice's eyes widened considerably. He looked genuinely shocked by her answer.

"You weren't kidding when you said you liked money, huh?" he asked.

She laughed and got to her feet, picking up her cup. His eyes followed her and she nodded towards the door of the kitchen. He slowly got to his feet and picked up his own cup.

"Come on, I've got three hours before I start work again and I can't look another essay. You can keep me company for a while."

* * *

His eyes flicked over to her. She was sitting neatly at the opposite end of the couch, her legs curled up beside her. Over the course of the hour and a half he had been keeping her company, he had noticed that her body had slouched continually. In another half hour or so, she'd be lying down, probably asleep. He could tell that she was tired. She was leaning against the arm of the couch, her head resting against her hand. Her eyes would flutter rapidly every now and then, before snapping open wide. He didn't blame her. She hadn't been in Charming long which probably meant she wasn't used to the long shifts she had undertaken. He spoke to her consistently, which he believed she appreciated, as she always replied in length. A film played on the television but neither of them were paying particular attention, both too busy trying to keep Beth awake. But she was beginning to lose the battle.

"Are you tired? he asked for the third time.

She merely nodded, her eyes drifting to a close, finally admitting defeat. Her hair was falling across her back and over her shoulder, exposing her face to him. When she was sleepy like this, she was cute as hell. Her hoodie had fallen practically all the way down on one side, exposing the pale skin of her arm and shoulder. Her long legs were curled comfortably up on the couch, hiding anything her shorts could not. Her shorts were pretty damn short, and he had noticed earlier when he'd followed her to the kitchen that they didn't exactly cover much. She wore fluffy little socks, decorated with tiny koala bears that covered up the pretty colors around her ankle. In her current state, he had been attempting to spy any other tattoos which she had previously stated, he could not be shown in public. So far however, he had come up short. Whatever else she had, had to be on her torso, he had decided. It was the only main part of her body he had yet to see.

"You're on my side."

Her voice was soft and quiet, dripping with sleep. God, he had never heard anything so attractive before in all his life. She was beginning to get under his skin. Still, he was confused as to what she meant. He frowned softly and tilted his head. She must've known he was confused because she continued.

"I usually lie there."

"Nothing stopping you. It's your house." he responded cheekily.

He hadn't expected her to take him seriously, however. She moved slowly, her actions carefully thought through. She uncurled her legs and pushed herself away from the arm of the couch. She slid into the middle of the couch before repositioning herself. Her legs returned to their previously curled position, this time on the other side of her body. She began to lay down and Juice barely pulled his hands out of the way before she rested her head in his lap. From his position above her, he could see the cocky smile on her face, and that made him smile in response. Carefully, he lowered his hands. He placed one hand gently on her waist and slid the other into her hair. She hummed quietly in response and his smiled widened. It was such a simple moment. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary. He was sure that this was a position couples all across the world often found themselves in. Movies had lead him to believe so, at least. But for him, an outlaw biker who was generally feared and looked down upon, this was entirely unusual. His pretty prison girl was laying against him without a care in the world, her smile growing as he played gently with her dark hair. For the first time that day, he felt a genuine contentedness fill him.

"That feels nice."

Her voice was barely above a whisper. She had one hand resting on his thigh, the other curled around her body to let her fingertips graze his against her waist. She felt so tiny beneath his touch. So delicate. God, he was fucked. Five days. He'd known her less than a week and in that time, she had shown him more interest and affection than even his own mother. He was a needy person, he knew that and wouldn't deny it. And what he needed now, was Beth. He had always thought it was stupid when people cried love at first sight. So he wouldn't say it. What he would say, however, was that this was definitely a crush. A real, adult sized version of a high school crush. And by God, it was strong.

"You gonna fall asleep on me?" he asked quietly, smiling wide.

He felt her push against his thigh. Her body turned slowly until she lay flat on her back. She blinked rapidly before opening her eyes and looking up at him. Her pretty blue eyes were desperate to close again, he could see that. But she simply smiled and shook her head. He felt her fingers curl against his and she raised his hand in hers, tangling their fingers together before letting their hands rest carefully against her stomach. His free hand returned to her hair.

"Talk to me. Keep me awake." she spoke softly.

"What do you want me to talk to you about?" he asked her.

"Tell me about your club? Ellie's told me some. You get patches and stuff. What do you do?" she quizzed, and he hesitated.

"I'm the Intelligence Officer. I take care of anything to do with technology." he answered after a moment or two.

"So you're a computer geek?" she asked, continuing before he could answer. "I knew there was something geeky about you."

He tugged gently on her hair and narrowed his eyes at her in mock annoyance. She laughed lightly and pushed at his chest with her free hand. He noticed that she didn't move away immediately though, but rather let herself move slightly into this new position which let her touch him.

"You're a cute geek, so it's all good." she offered with a smile. "So, what about the rest?"

He hesitated again. He really shouldn't be discussing the club. She was an outsider. Club business was club business and no one on the outside was allowed to be involved. A thought occured to him then. Beth wasn't just any outsider, she literally knew nothing about the club. And the fact she was here with him let Juice know that she obviously hadn't been paying too much attention to rumors of the town. It would be easy to explain the hierarchy and generally used terms of the club without actually having to go into any details about club business. And so that's what he did. For the next hour and a half, Juice told Beth lay together on her sofa, and he told her all about his club.


	5. Winter Winds

**Hello my darlings! So, here's chapter five and it's a fairly long one! This chapter is mostly just fluff but there's a few extra moments thrown in there! This is really just a filler chapter to establish their kind of relationship before I get into the drama that's still to come! As always, I love reviews!**

 **Spoiler: So, we get to see Beth's 'not for public' tattoo in this chapter! However, in case my description is a bit shit, I'll add a link at the bottom of the chpter so you can all see the same image I based the tattoo on!**

 **To Emmettluver2010: I'm not 100% sure how I want to play out Juice's upcoming issues with the club just yet! I have a few ideas about where I want this story to go so I'm just kind of going with the flow at the moment! I feel like, if the club had known, none of the things that happened to Juice would have happened at all but, at the same time, that was a ke feature in the plotline of the show and I'm not sure yet if I want to take that away. We shall see :)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

It was warm night. Only a little after ten but already dark. The winter months were on their way, not that they ever greatly affected Charming. It was always sunny and warm in Charming.

They'd gotten back a few hours earlier and as soon as they'd crossed the town border, he'd wanted to see her. It had been four days since she'd almost fallen asleep in his lap and it had only made him want her more. He had admitted it to himself now. He liked her. God, he wanted her. Not in the way he wanted sweetbutts, no; this was something different. With the sweetbutts, it was strictly sex, nothing more. Never anything more. Since he'd first seen however, he hadn't touched any of the sweetbutts. It hadn't been a conscious decision, and he was only now actually realising. All he wanted, was his pretty prison girl. He wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh. He wanted to hold her and play with her hair. He wanted all that couple shit and that wasn't something he wanted from sweetbutts. That was something he wanted from Beth.

He knocked loudly on her door. His stomach began to knot, and he felt nervous. He knew it was a Saturday and that she didn't have to work. But she was always so tired. It was late and she was probably in bed. He shouldn't have come. Just as Juice prepared to turn away, the door opened. His eyes widened a little when he saw her. Her hair was wet and dripping down her back. Her pretty face was completely void of makeup, which dulled the blue of her eyes to the equally pretty gray he had witnessed once before. She wore only a towel. It was a pale, lilac color, wrapped tightly around her body. It was rather short for a towel. He swallowed hard and met her eyes, noting the cocky smirk on her lips.

"Sorry, I uh, just wanted too-"

"You coming in?" she asked plainly, stepping to the side.

He merely nodded his head and entered her home. Immediately, he was attacked with various scents. The hall, in particular, smelled liked garden roses. He next noticed how dark it was, the only light coming from a few candles placed neatly on little shelves. Without thinking, he toed off his boots and placed them neatly by the door. Her little house appeared so neat and tidy, he didn't want to mess it up.

"You can make yourself some coffee or whatever. I'm gonna go throw some clothes on. I think there's beer in the fridge if you want."

Her voice was soft and inviting as she closed the door behind him. Her tiny body slipped past his and he turned his eyes down to her. She tossed a quick smile up at him before disappearing down the hall and into the bedroom at the back of the house, leaving him alone. He decided it would probably be best to take her advice. As he made his way down to the kitchen, he eyed the door of what he assumed was her bedroom. He wondered what it looked like. She wasn't the girly-girl he'd first thought. It was probably incredibly neat and precise, with everything in a specific place and order.

He pulled a beer from her fridge and noticed that there were only six bottles, including the one he'd taken. There was however, a large, almost empty bottle of vodka. He got the feeling she wasn't a big fan of beer. He closed the fridge carefully and tugged the cap of the bottle, taking a quick drink. Her kitchen smelled like cinnamon. In her home, he felt at peace. It was good. It had been a shitty kinda day. He needed this.

"Juice?" her voice called out.

"Kitchen." he called in reply.

She appeared suddenly by the door. She was gripping the frame with one hand to keep herself upright as her body leaned around the door. Her wet hair was now secured tightly in a thick braid that curled over her shoulder. From what he could see, she wore a thin strapped vest top. In the dim light, it appeared to be a deep shade of blue.

"Well don't just stand there, I do own a couch, just in case you forgot." she smirked.

With that, she disappeared from his view. He followed her without hesitation, slipping into the living room just as she was settling herself on the couch. This room smelled like fresh fruit. He settled himself on the couch beside her as she picked up the television remote and began flicking through channels.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked, her eyes flicking to him briefly before returning to the T.V.

"I guess I uh, just wanted to see you." he answered.

At that, he took a moment to look over her. For the first time in the week they'd known each other, her legs were covered. She wore baggy, fluffy bottoms that were decorated with all sorts of patterns, in different shades of purple. Her little vest top was indeed blue but somehow matched with her bottoms despite the color contrast. Her dark hair was still visibly damp but was kept contained by the braid. She still wore no makeup and God, she was just as pretty without it.

"You miss me?" she asked.

She had found herself a channel to settle on and had set the remote down. Upon her question, she turned her body a little in order to at least half face his. Her eyes were on his and her lips were a beautiful mix of that pretty smile and her cocky smirk.

"I bet you missed me more." he answered her.

Even in the dim candle light, he could see the blush attack her pale skin. She ducked her head and laughed slightly. He loved that sound. Almost musical. As she raised her head again, he took another quick drink of the beer she had provided him with.

"You're a cocky bastard, know that?" she teased.

"Don't pretend you didn't. Judging by the vodka in your fridge, which is weird by the way, you're not a beer kinda girl. So unless you're secretly married and this is your attempt at fling, you wanted me to come back."

She looked pleasantly surprised and that made him smirk. He felt proud of himself given his analysis of her. Apparently, she hadn't expected it.

"So maybe I was hoping you'd show up again. And you did. You turned up on my doorstep, at the back of ten, after having been out of the state for two days. Two days in a different state and the first thing you do when you get back is come to see me. That's kinda romantic, Juice."

Beth was right. At least when they were in the same town, he could see her whenever he wanted. Those two days out of town, even though he'd known exactly what she'd been doing, had worried him. She had been seen with him. She was, as far as his world was concerned, involved with him now. That made her a target. He'd known her a week and she was already a target. And he didn't know what he would do if anything happened to her and he wasn't there to help her. He didn't want to ever know.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I probably should've called first." he spoke sheepishly, running a hand over his head.

"I don't mind. Can be quite lonely round here what with my ridiculous work schedule. I use you for your company." she laughed, winking at him.

"Oh, thanks." he mocked, placing a hand over his heart as if offended. "You gonna fall asleep on me this time?"

"I didn't fall asleep last time!" she protested, sitting up a little straighter, her body fully facing his now.

"Only because I kept you awake." he smirked, phrasing his words to allow for the double meaning.

"Well, at least you know you're not boring."

Her reply was quick and her tone was filled with more sass than he had ever heard, even from Gemma. She smiled confidently, her eyes showing just how smug she felt. Cocky was a good look on her. Then again, he fully believed she could pull off any look.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment." he responded.

She laughed, leaning back against the arm of the couch and turning her eyes back to the television. Carefully, she stretched her legs out across his lap and he placed his hands neatly over them. Beth was the strangest girl he'd ever met. She seemed to relaxed, as if she were just going with the flow. He'd never before felt so strongly, so quickly about a girl. He supposed, it was because she wasn't what he was used to. Juice was used to girls who threw themselves at him, promising him everything he could ever ask for without ever knowing anything about him. But not her. His pretty prison girl was interested. She asked him questions. She didn't promise him anything, but never withheld the truth when he asked her questions. And she certainly didn't throw herself at him. No, she had more class than that. He squeezed her calf gently and she brought her eyes to his.

"Come here?" he asked, nodding gently.

She frowned briefly and he nodded again. Without questioning, she pulled her legs away from his lap and sat up a little. He reached an arm out towards her and she moved herself close to him. She leaned into his side, curling her legs to the opposite side of her. He let his arm fall around her shoulders gently and felt her relax against his body. She placed one hand gently on the upper outside of his thigh, the other reaching up, curling to grip at his t-shirt. Very gently, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. It took only twenty minutes or so before she was yawning.

"Tired?" he asked quietly, turning his eyes down to her.

"I'm always tired." she responded.

He could hear the sleep in her voice. That was how he knew she was on the verge of falling asleep right there. He noticed, as she tilted her head back a little, that her eyes were closed. She'd be asleep in minutes.

"I'll go and let you get some sleep." he whispered, beginning to retract his arm from around her small body but she gripped his shirt a little tighter.

"D'you want to stay?" she asked quietly, hopefully.

He considered it. Did he want to stay? Of course he did! What sensible guy would turn down such an offer from such a pretty girl? But should he stay? He'd known this girl a week and he couldn't deny any longer than whatever it was he felt for her, was strong enough for him to not want to be without her. But he was dangerous. If he pulled her into his life, she could get hurt. If he pulled her in too soon, she might get scared and leave him. But she didn't seem to be the kind of girl who was easily scared. Her brother was in jail and here she was, spending time with a biker who just got out of jail. Fear didn't seem to be an emotion she could feel. And if that were the case, he had to know what she did feel. He'd made his decision.

"If you want me to."

Slowly, Beth got to her feet. She switched off the television and returned back to him. She held a hand out to him, and he took it, getting to his feet. She began to lead him through the house, pausing every once in a while to blow out her little candles.

Her bedroom was pretty. The walls were painted a pale lilac and one wall was papered with roses of all shades of purple. Everything was neat and tidy, like he'd imagined, and it smelled like her perfume. She had a bookcase filled with more candles and other little nick-knacks, and anoher bookcase filled with books. She had a little set of clear, plastic drawers that held a whole bunch of neatly organised pens and paper. A large wardrobe rested in one corner of the room, painted white and decorated with full length mirrors on both doors. Her bed was massive, much bigger than anything at the clubhouse or even his own bed at home.

She moved towards the bed and pulled back the duvet. He simply watched her. Before climbing into bed, she tugged off the long bottoms she had been wearing to reveal black, lacy underwear. Juice swallowed hard.

"I don't like having my legs covered when I'm sleeping." she explained, as if answering some unasked question. "You coming?"

He moved slowly, almost mechanically. He removed his cut and lay it neatly in the chair by her bed, on top of her discarded bottoms. She was laying on her side, facing him although her eyes were closed. He'd never felt more nervous in his life and he didn't know why. He was sleeping with her, and not even ina fun way. It wasn't like he was fucking her, so why was he so nervous. God, that's exactly why he was so nervous! Juice honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd slept in the same bed as a woman without...well, without any kind of sexual contact, really.

"I don't mind if you take the trousers off."

Her voice cut through his thoughts. Her eyes were on him now, but heavy with sleep. He nodded lightly and unbuckled his belt quickly, trying to get it over with. Beth had moved to the opposite side of the bed, the duvet still peeled back on the side closest to him, her eyes closed once more.

He removed his pants and folded them neatly, placing them with his cut. He felt exposed. But the sight of her lying there so peacefully wasn't something he wanted to walk away from. Especially when he had been invited to join her. He climbed carefully into the bed and pulled the duvet up over his body. They lay quietly, she contentedly whilst he stared at the ceiling, almost afraid to move. But Beth moved. Her body pressed against his, her head coming to rest on his chest. She gripped his shirt at the side with one hand, the reaching across his body to rest neatly in the crook of his neck. She let one leg intertwine with his. In response, he slipped one arm around, his fingertips trailing up and down her spine, his other hand gripping the back of her thigh just above her knee to pull her body closer. He relaxed completely as she curled around his body, the sound of her slowing breath soothing. He tilted his head and leaned into her, letting himself fall asleep with his pretty prison girl.

* * *

Sunlight streamed bright and harsh into the room. The curtains were still open and the entire room was fully illuminated. Usually, the breaking of dawn wouldn't bother her, as it was almost like another alarm to wake up to in the morning. However, it was Sunday. She wasn't working. She didn't need any alarms. But she was awake now.

Carefully, Beth blinked her eyes open and raised one hand to shield them from the intruding sunlight. It was then that she felt him. He had one arm lying neatly beneath her body, the other draped over her waist and holding her close. Her back was pressed against his chest and she could feel his breath blowing gently through her hair. She was sleeping with Juice. In the most innocent sense of the term, she was sleeping with Juice. And it felt good.

Memories of the night before filled her mind. He'd turned up on her doorstep at the back of ten, saying he'd wanted to see her after being in an entirely different state for two days. Of course, she'd happily invited him inside. They'd sat up for a little while, cuddled on her couch, flirting until she could barely keep her eyes open. He'd offered to go but she'd invited him to stay. She didn't regret that decision. She liked Juice, more than she was willing to admit, even to herself.

A soft, gentle kiss against her shoulder distracted her. Her body stilled but he didn't move. As far as she could tell, he was still sleeping. Slowly, she began to turn her body. First, to lie flat on her back, and then still again for a moment. Then, onto her opposite side, facing him. His eyes were closed, and she decided he was still asleep. His eyelashes were rather long for a man's and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous at that. His skin was so dark compared to hers and so very beautiful as it glowed softly in the sunlight. His chest moved up and down in a slow rhythm as he slept. He must have felt the sudden distance between them due to her change in position, as he tightened his arms around her, pulling her close once again. A smile broke across her lips and she reached up slowly, letting her fingertips brush his jawline.

"Do you always stare at the men in your bed or am I special?"

His voice was light and playful despite his eyes still being closed and his breathing still suggesting sleep. Beth smiled wide and shrugged her shoulder, humming softly as his fingertips began to move up and down her spine slowly.

"You're the first man to get in my bed since I got here, so I'd say you're extra special." she replied softly.

"Does that mean I can do this?"

Before she had the chance to ask what it was he wanted to do, his lips were on hers. Soft and slow, he kissed her. His fingertips continued their gentle ministrations across her spine, his free hand tugging at the end of her braid, pulling her hair loose from the bobble she'd used to restrain it. Her own eyes closed. One hand curled into his shirt, as if she could pull him closer, and she reached up with her free hand to brush her fingertips across the subtle pulse in his neck. He pulled back softly his eyes already on her and she looked up from beneath her eyelashes, and she could feel his hands untangling her braid.

"Aye," her voice was hushed but pleased. "You can do that."

He simply smiled and kissed her again. This time, although still soft and gentle, he was a little more passionate. His fingers easily freed her hair from its confines before tangling in the dark mess. She smiled against his mouth and he must've known because he laughed. With both hands, she grasped his shirt and moved her body. Laying flat on her back, Beth tugged Juice to hover over her. Her braced his arms on either side of her body, one hand by her side and the other still clinging in her hair. She let her arms wrap loosely around his shoulders and this time, he smiled. He settled between her legs nicely although there was immediate sexual aspect to his actions. They both simply enjoyed the moment. And then a phone rang.

"That's yours." she murmured against his lips.

"Ignore it," he whispered, slipping one hand carefully beneath her vest top to grip her waist. "They'll give up."

She laughed at his optimism. They both knew that if someone was calling him at such an early hour, it was because he was needed. There would be no giving up. But she played along anyway. His mouth continued to move against hers as the ringing coming from the pocket of his trousers stopped. As if to test the will of the world, Beth reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged. Juice clearly took the hint and he raised himself up off of her for just a moment, tugging the flimsy white t-shirt over his head and letting it fall to the floor. Her eyes trailed over his body. Smooth, tanned skin exposed his perfectly sculpted frame. He obviously spent a lot of time in the gym. She certainly wasn't complaining. His mouth dipped down to her neck and she released a soft moan, tipping her head back. Now there was a sexual aspect to his actions. It was as his hands began to move up her body, slowly pushing her vest top up that his phone rang again. He cursed loudly and stopped his actions before reaching for his trousers, continuing to curse as she giggled at him.

"Yeah?"

His voice was clearly agitated as he sat up, running a hand over his face. Beth didn't know who was calling him, or why, but she didn't care. With a sly smile, she sat up, her legs still wrapped lightly around his hips. She brushed her finger tips against his jaw and smiled as his annoyed expression relaxed ever so slightly. She leaned forward carefully, and pressed a gentle kiss to his chest, her free hand pulling at his upper arm. His body fell into hers gently but they remained in their seated position. He buried his face in her neck, his free hand sliding into her hair. She pressed another gentle kiss on him, this time against his temple. In a rush, Juice ended his call and set his phone on the chair by her bed.

"I'm supposed to have work in the garage today." he spoke quietly.

"You better get going," she hummed, letting herself fall back slowly to lay down. "Or they might not let you leave again."

"How do you expect me to leave when you're lying there, looking like that?" he asked, kinking a brow suggestively.

"Restraint, my dear, is a useful skill. Plus, I'm afraid I can't sleep with you just yet. It would be terribly trashy of me to sleep with the first man I let in my bed, the very first time I let him there."

Her tone was teasing, and her eyes were bright and blue. She attempted to turn her body away from him but her grabbed her by her waist, pulling her beneath him as his body collapsed over hers, his mouth meeting hers in a crushing kiss.

"You're right, but at least do me one favour?" he asked.

"What's that?" she asked in response.

"The tattoo. The one you said you couldn't show me in public. Show me now?"

A smile crept across Beth's face. She'd almost forgotten she'd told him about her other, more private tattoo. She nodded softly and pushed against his shoulder. He moved up off of her slightly and she reached down to grip the bottom of her shirt. She removed it slowly, knowing it would tease him. When she finally threw the blue material to the floor, she lay back, in only her bra and panties and gave him exactly what he wanted.

The ink started up beneath the band of her bra, between her breasts. It trailed down, spreading out across her rib cage, in intricate patterns similar to the shapes of leaves or wings. The body of the tattoo held a large oval, coloured in shades of blue and green, giving it the appearance of some type of gem stone. Dangling from the stone, connected by waves of little dots, were diamonds, shaded in the same blues and greens as before. As a whole, the ink spread from her cleavage, across both sides of her ribs and floating down to almost reach her belly button. She smiled when Juice sucked in a breath at the sight, followed by a soft curse.

"You like it?" she asked quietly.

"Did it hurt?" he asked, his fingers gently tracing some of the patterns resembling wings.

"Aye, like a bitch. But it was worth it." she smiled.

"Definitely worth it." he nodded, his eyes still locked on the tattoo. "It's sexy as hell."

"You think?" Beth smirked, knowing exactly what he thought of her tattoo.

"I think I should probably go to work while I still stand at least half a chance of getting out of this bed."

A loud, amused laugh left her lips. Juice finally raised his eyes to meet hers and smirked. His hands gripped her waist, sliding up her body without loosening his grip, causing her body to arch as he pulled her up into a sitting position. He held her body close to his and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I gotta go, Beth, or Gemma'll have my head. But I'll be back later and you better be here or I'll be forced to hunt you down and bring you back myself." he whispered against her mouth, and she laughed.

"Go, Juice. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

 **So, here is a little link to let you all view my idea of Beth's tattoo!**

M8Od1uVokc5uoAuLJvvBXn3poe8UUQDZTKk1Avdrz8CI0nPak7af13fiQ0mWEcLQDhGoQRDcfhSqIbPLJqalx0Ez0h9wBy0wkSZC5XbI0W1s_KCgohZcWfxqWezK-S94-4sjJxk


	6. Different Kind of Knight

**Hello my darlings! Here is chapter six! This is a pretty long chapter because I wanted to get all the sad stuff out of the way! I know there's more sad stuff to come obviously but I needed to get this over with! It took me a good few days to write cause I've had a lot of essays due for uni so please forgive me! As always, please give reviews, I love them!**

 **To MissTeller-Ortiz-Dixon: Don't you worry my dear! I have decided, for the most part, to follow the events of the show but Juice shall most definitely not be meeting ny kind of mayhem! I have a plan, I promise ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

It was a little after three in the morning and the air was filled with a gentle silence. The house was warm despite the subtle chill of the coming winter. Still, she wasn't cold. California's coldest winter was still warmer than Scotland's hottest summer. She was wrapped up in only a light blanket and sleep was finally beginning to take hold.

A loud knock sounded from the door. An annoyed groan escaped her lips and she shuffled from her pleasant position, pulling the blanket up over her head. She wasn't even entirely sure that knock had been real. It could have been a dream.

It came again. No, it was definitely real. She was beginning to realise that, in Charming, there was no such thing as peace. Slowly, Beth climbed out of bed. She glanced at herself in the mirrors hanging on her wardrobe and couldn't help but grimace. She looked like shit. Her pyjama shorts were far too short and she knew that, and her loose, oversized t-shirt hung down over one shoulder, alerting the world as to her lack of a bra. Her hair was noticeably frizzy and messy. Yeah, she looked like shit. The door sounded again.

"I heard you the fucking first time!"

Her voice carried loudly through the house as she made her way to the front door. She knew that, whoever was out there, had heard her because she could hear laughing. Funny, it sounded like Juice.

"There no such thing as common fucking decency? It's three in the fucking morning and I need to be-"

She broke off as she tugged the door open. Standing on her porch, with his arm slung around the shoulders of an older man, laughing his goddamn ass off, was Juice. Her eyes narrowed abruptly. She hadn't seen or heard from him since the night he'd stayed. He had told her he'd be back to see her, but had never showed. It had annoyed her a little. Now, seeing him, she was pissed off.

"There a reason you're rattling my door at such a stupid fucking time of the morning?"

His laughter stopped immediately. She could see he swallowed hard, obviously feeling rather nervous now. The elder man began to laugh instead but Juice took no notice. His eyes were focused on her and she kinked a brow, urging him to give her some bullshit answer.

"I don't know what you did, Juicy boy, but I don't think she's too happy with you."

Finally, Beth turned her eyes Juice's companion as he spoke. He was Scottish. That explained why Juice had picked up her accent so easily, he was used to hearing it. She looked him over. He was fairly tall, dark hair although she could see the subtle waves of grey coming in. He wore the Sons of Anarchy cut, only with a few more patches than Juice. His key feature, however, were the scars across his cheeks. She didn't bother to stare and she could tell he appreciated that from the way he nodded at her. She had no need to stare, she knew what the scars were. She just wondered what he'd done to warrant them.

"Not to sound like a dick but, who are you and why did you bring this idiot to my door?" she asked.

"Name's Chibs, love. Our boy here got himself shot and asked me to bring him here instead of taking him home. If I'd known you were such an angry wee thing, I wouldn't have bothered." he explained, laughing.

Juice had been quiet throughout the whole interaction, his eyes now focused firmly on the ground. She could feel anger building up within her. Did he really have the audacity to ignore her for two days and then expect to just turn up on her doorstep wounded? What was he expecting? Did he expect her to take him in? God, she wanted to hit him. She couldn't turn him away. They both knew she wouldn't. He'd been shot for Christ's sake!

"You got shot? You disappear for two days and then turn up on my doorstep, two hours before I have work, because you got shot? If I had a gun Juice, I'd fucking shoot you!" she yelled, her hands waving dramatically, but she stepped aside anyway. "Get in the fucking house."

He raised his eyes sheepishly and she felt her heart melt a little. There was something different in his eyes. Something wrong. She got the feeling there was more to this story than he was telling her. She closed the door behind the two men and let Juice direct Chibs to the living room whilst she went to make coffee. She was going to need it if she were going to refrain from smacking him. It was as she was in the kitchen, that she heard them talking about her.

"Christ, you've really pissed her off." came the first voice, Chibs, his accent clear.

"Yeah, I can see that." she heard Juice reply.

"Got a mouth like a sailor. Right wee Scot, she is. I like her. You want to be careful you don't piss her off too much though. She'll do worse than shoot you." Chibs warned.

His words made her smirk. Damn right she'd do worse. Juice didn't respond but Beth could picture the way he would nod, smile and look down. She gathered the coffee on a little tray she kept for the rare occasions she had visitors, and made her way back towards the living room. She set the tray on the little coffee table in front of the couch, upon which both men were seated. She picked up a mug and settled herself in the chair adjacent.

"How'd it happen?" she asked, nodding towards Juice's injured thigh.

Both he and Chibs remained quiet but she didn't miss the quick little glance they threw towards each other. She wasn't stupid. She may not know the ins and outs of the MC, but she had heard enough around town to know that when something was club business, it was secret. This was obviously club business.

"Alright then, let's cut the bullshit. What can you tell me without letting slip anything secret?" she spoke, rephrasing her previous question.

Both men looked at her, Juice seemingly surprised by her abruptness whilst Chibs merely looked amused.

"All you need to know, love, is that your boy here did a good thing."

She nodded simply and took a sip of her coffee. It was mindless conversation from then on. Chibs asked how they'd met and threatened to tell Ellie she was going to lose Juice to her teacher. Beth told Chibs about how she'd ended up leaving Scotland in favour of Charming. Juice avoided the conversation as much as possible.

It was around four when Chibs said his goodbyes and made his way home, leaving Beth and Juice alone. He looked sad and tired. His brown eyes were clouded and distant and he hadn't smiled since her anger had silenced him on her door step, at least, not that she had witnessed. She didn't like this version of him. She much preferred the light eyes and wide, childlike smile. Her little computer geek was hurting and he couldn't even tell her why.

"I think maybe you should go to bed." she spoke softy.

He looked up at her then, his eyes questioning. Beth stood slowly and stepped towards him, reaching out a hand for him. He took it willingly, but instead, pulled her down to him, sitting her on his uninjured thigh. His arms wrapped around her and he hid his face in her hair. A frown crossed her features, yet still she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"I did a bad thing, today. I know...I know Chibs said it was good but I-"

"Shh, Juice." she cut him off, running one hand soothingly over his back, the other across his jaw. "I don't care what you did, but it's obviously hurting you." she paused, leaning back and tilting his head, forcing his eyes to meet hers. "I don't care what your club says either: there is nothing you can't tell me, and I won't judge you. I promise."

"You barely even know me." he whispered, turning his eyes away.

"So let me get to know you."

She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips before standing once more, pulling him up with her. He leaned against her as little as he could, and she knew he was trying to keep from putting too much pressure on her. She considered calling him on it, but knew he'd lie, so said nothing. Instead, she lead him back to her bedroom. He settled himself on her bed and she helped him to unfasten and remove his boots and trousers. She could see the smirk on his face.

"This is not how I imagined this moment." he spoke, brushing a hand through her hair as she pushed him into bed.

"I'm sure you had a rather vivid image." she mused, tugging the blanket up around him.

"It was more of a fantasy." he smirked, pulling on her hand as she straightened up. "Ain't you gonna sleep with me?" he asked, pouting softly.

"I've got work in less than an hour and I'm wide awake now, thanks to you." she chided playfully.

"Shit, right. I'm sorry about all this." he stopped an ran a hand across his face. "I didn't mean to drag you into my shit, I just, didn't want to be myself tonight. Stay with me, for a while?"

His voice was quiet and pleading. She understood exactly what he meant. Juice didn't like to be alone. Neither did Beth, really. She was just used to it. However, she climbed into bed beside him, lying on his uninjured side and letting him pull her body close as they cuddled together in her large bed.

"If you get blood on my sheets, Ortiz, I will actually shoot you!" she warned, and he laughed.

* * *

Routine was something that did not exist in Charming. The only word suitable to describe life in Charming, was hectic, and even that didn't come close some days. However, every now and then, there would come a small period of time during which everything would fall comfortably into place. Those were the best times. The ones he looked forward to. And strangely, he had found that peace in the home of a high school teacher he had known for a mere two weeks. It was funny how things worked out, he thought.

She was always gone in the morning when he woke but Juice didn't really mind. He knew Beth's schedule was a rather erratic and he admired the way she handled her lifestyle. Most people would have given up trying a long time ago. That wasn't something he wanted for her though. He didn't want his pretty prison girl to have to fight and work so hard just to live comfortably. Sure, he kept a ridiculous schedule but that was because of the club and the fact most of the work required of him was illegal. It was worth it though, for the money he made. He wondered if Beth's schedule was worth the money. Judging by her car and her standard of living, he assumed it was. He had tried asking her if she would give the work up if she knew she wouldn't need it to support herself. She'd only smiled and changed the subject. He had taken that as a yes.

It was a cool afternoon. Not cold, but cool. Only recently had Juice left the comfort of her bed in favour of breakfast. He missed her in the mornings, when she had left for work before he'd even woken up. He liked when she came home and they would lie around on the couch or in bed, just talking about their lives. He'd been staying with her three days already since he'd been shot. Chibs had told him to take it easy and stay out of the way until he would actually be useful. Naturally, that meant back to business as usual by Monday. Beth hadn't seemed too impressed by the rush for him to get back to the club but she hadn't voiced her opinion on it, instead simply frowning, crinkling her nose and looking down whenever he mentioned it. He had decided this was her look of disapproval. He hadn't called her on it, mostly because she looked kind of cute when she pulled the disapproving face, and also because she didn't pull it very often, which was nice.

Every morning, when she briefly stopped by the house to change in order to look more presentable for school rather than the coffee shop, she would leave him breakfast. She usually picked some form of breakfast food up from the coffee shop on her way out and set out a mug and a glass, which he usually filled with coffee and orange juice. On that particular morning, when he'd actually been awake during her quick change of clothes, Beth had said she was molly-coddling him. When he'd fixed her with a look of sheer confusion, she had laughed and explained it meant she treated him like a baby. She said baby funny too, pronouncing it like babby, and he'd pointed it out to her, to which she'd thrown a teaspoon at his head. He was pretty sure he'd smoothed it over though by telling her he thought her accent was cute. She'd blushed at that. It had been a good morning.

Upon that thought, he heard the front door open. His eyes flicked to the little teapot shaped clock on the window-sill of the kitchen. It was almost four. Had he really slept that long? Apparently so. Slowly, Juice pushed himself to his feet and limped through to the hall to meet her. Her heels clicked on the flooring and she had her bag slung over her arm. She'd switched from her skirt today, opting for a pair of tight, black dress pants that ended just before her ankle, exposing her colorful roses. They made her ass look great, he'd noticed that morning. His eyes met hers and she smiled.

"Stick the kettle on, please? I'm just gonna change quickly then I'll be through."

With that, she brushed past him and into the bedroom. She didn't bother closing the door. She never did, he'd noticed. He'd asked her why, on the first night after she'd taken him in. She said there was no point because he'd already seen her half naked. He liked her logic. Smirking, he made his way back into the kitchen to make her a cup of coffee.

He had just settled himself on the couch, setting her coffee on a little coaster and holding his own, when she entered with a loud sigh. His eyes flicked over to her as she practically dropped her body next to his. She wore baggy, gray sweatpants and a bright orange sports bra with all sorts of intricate straps crossing over her chest and back. It looked a little complicated for his liking but it showcased her sexy tattoo so he couldn't complain.

"How's your war wound?" she asked, reaching for her coffee.

"Better. I can walk more than ten steps without wanting to cut my leg off now." he answered, his eyes focused on her.

"'Cause you're molly-coddled." she smirked. "That mean you need to go back sooner?" she continued, her eyes down.

"Nah, I don't feel like giving up the molly-coddling just yet." he mocked her with a smile. "You've got me til Monday."

"God, I'm running out of orange juice, I don't know if I can keep you any longer."

Her tone was teasing and she flicked her eyes up to him playfully over the brim of her mug. Her hair had fallen over her face, slightly shielding her from him. With a roll of his eyes, he leaned forward a little and blew lightly across her face. She scrunched her eyes closed and leaned back with a squeal followed by a laugh. She reached up and brushed a hand through her hair, pushing it back. His eyes followed the millions of tiny freckles spread across her pale skin. They trailed across her face, down her shoulders to cover her arms. Her neck and chest were free of them but she had a few on her stomach and legs. They were pretty, Juice thought.

"We both know you don't want to get rid of me." he teased.

"Oh aye, just move in why don't you?" she mocked, rolling her eyes and turning her body to face him. "So, joking aside, are you really going back on Monday?" she asked.

"I have to, you know that." he answered after a moment, mimicking her look of disapproval.

"You got shot, you don't have to do anything."

Her tone made it sound simple. Like he hadn't done anything bad. But of course, she didn't know that he had. He wanted to tell her. He knew, somehow, that she wouldn't care. She would listen without judgement and she would say something that was just right and she would make everything bad feel better. God, he wanted to tell her so bad. But he couldn't.

"I have to. I want...I want to explain but I just-"

"Juice, darlin'?"

Her voice interrupted him. She didn't quite pronounce darling the way he was used to hearing it, not even from Chibs. She didn't pronounce the r, but rather ghosted over it. Her voice was soft and innocent. He realised then that, he was using a tone she would use if she were speaking to children. It was strangely soothing. His eyes followed her movements as she set down her coffee cup and reached for him, gripping his free hand in both of hers.

"If you want to tell me something, anything at all, you can. I know that the club says you can't and I understand if you maybe don't trust me or something but I promise you, I don't care what you've done. I honestly don't. You can tell me, if you want to."

Oh God, he wanted to tell her. They both knew he trusted her. He wouldn't have turned up on her doorstep with a hole in his leg if he didn't! The club would kill him though. He couldn't spill club secret to outsiders. Especially not to a girl he'd known two weeks just because he had the hots for her and she was willing to listen. But this wasn't just club secrets. He had his own secrets and they were weighing so heavily on him that he felt like he couldn't breathe. He needed to tell someone, anyone, and it might as well be Beth. He sucked in a deep breath, and started talking before he could stop himself.

"Let's not pretend you haven't heard the stories around town about the club, okay? So you already know what to expect. Most of the stories are bullshit but some, are pretty close to the truth. I think, the biggest thing you need to know is, yeah, the club run guns. It's what we do, how we make money. And the guns come from big players, I mean big, big players, like, IRA and for a while, we were good! We kept to ourselves and got shit done and there were no problems. I don't know what went wrong or where it went wrong but, we ended up getting involved with a cartel. A drug cartel. They got us muling coke. The club voted it in and, and I voted no but it was a majority yes vote and I gotta do what the club does, I don't hold enough rank to make any changes. And it all went downhill from there. This asshole new sheriff has something on me and he wants me to give up dirt on the club and I don't wanna but he's got some real bad shit on me. But if I give him anything, they'll kill me and I don't-"

He cut himself off. He could feel a stinging in his eyes and a lump in his throat. His hands were shaking and at some point during his speech, she had taken the coffee cup from him and set it down. She'd been quiet during his rather rushed explanation of the club's business and he found he couldn't look at her.

"Two questions," she spoke finally. "Are you dealing the coke?" she asked.

"No." he answered firmly, keeping his eyes down.

"What's the sheriff got on you?" she asked next.

"He...it's stupid, he...my dad is...black." he answered her again, stumbling over his words.

"What's wrong with that?" she quizzed, sounding genuinely confused.

"It's an old club rule. Outdated to hell but, still a rule: no blacks." he spoke quietly.

"Well that's stupid. You're clearly Hispanic, right?"

Her voice was light and comforting. Hispanic. That's what it said on his birth certificate at least. He raised his eyes to meet hers and found that she was smiling at him, her eyes free of judgement. It felt good to tell her all his shit. It felt good to have someone tell him he was going to be alright. If he wasn't so fucked up, Juice could see himself loving this girl. Who was he kidding? He was already half way there.

"Puerto Rican, yeah." he nodded.

"Right, you're Puerto Rican. So who gives a fuck who donated the sperm? I don't. I like geeky, smiley, Puerto Rican Juice. That's who you are and don't let some, idiot sheriff with a hard on for his-fucking-self, tell you any different, you understand me?" she spoke, her tone firm and authoritative.

"You like me, huh?" he asked, smiling just a little.

"Focus, Juice." she laughed but nodded. "What does any of this have to do with you being shot?"

"I don't think you're gonna like what I-"

"Try me." she interrupted him.

"The coke that the cartel gave us, Roosevelt wanted a sample. I tried to get it and get out but I couldn't so I...I took it and I hid it. I was just gonna wait til it all cooled down and put it back but I fell asleep and they noticed it was missing before I could. They thought it was the prospects. I managed to get the guys to clear out so I could put it back. But Miles saw me. He pulled his gun and I panicked. Threw the coke at him. I jumped for him and he shot me. We both went down and I got the gun. He pulled his knife and I shot him. Killed him. Told the rest of the guys it was Miles who took the coke. Saved my own skin."

Again, she was quiet as he spoke. He had kept his eyes on his hands, which were entwined with hers. He imagined she was trying to keep him from shaking but it wasn't helping much. He'd just spilled his darkest secret, and some club secrets to boot. His heart was racing. She could turn on him. Go to the cops. Tell the club. She could kill him with this knowledge. And she was sitting there quiet.

"Say something?" he asked, turning his eyes up to her quickly.

"He tried to kill you." she spoke simply, shrugging one shoulder. "You killed him first. You did what you thought was right. I can't fault you for that."

"How can you be so calm?" he asked incredulously. "I just told you my club sell guns! We mule coke, something your brother could be going to prison for! I just told you I shot someone and lied about it and you're just so...calm!"

His voice and risen as he spoke. He'd pulled his hands from her grip and had turned his body to face hers. She hadn't even so much as flinched. Yeah, there was definitely something wrong with this girl. There had to be.

"You're a good person, Juice. The kind of person who stops on a deserted street at four in the morning to help a girl unpack boxes. You are terrible at keeping track of time. You drink all my orange juice and rearrange practically everything in my house. You make good coffee but you watch really shit telly. You are like a radiator when you sleep and you still complain about being cold. You have the best smile I've ever seen in my life and I actually like those daft tribal tattoos you've got on your head-"

"What does any of that have to do with what I told you?" he asked, interrupting her and flinching as she flicked his head.

"The point is, Juice, I know all these good, interesting things about you. I knew all these things before you told me any of the bad shit. I'd already made my mind up about you. You know, they say you decide whether or not you like someone within the first few seconds of meeting them? You think of all the time I've spent with you since I first met you. I'm fucked, 'cause if I don't hate you by now, I never will. And nothing you say will change my mind."

He stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly open. He could honestly say he'd never felt so wanted before in his entire life. This girl, this totally normal girl with a normal job and a normal life, wanted him. And that certainly wasn't normal. Not for him at least. He surged forward, grabbing hold of her upper arms tightly and pulling her to him. His lips crushed hers and she sort of squeaked in surprise. He kissed her hard, trying to use the kiss to show her how much he appreciated everything she'd said and done for him. He wanted her to know he wanted her too. He felt her tiny hands wrap around his wrists and he pulled back marginally, his eyes immediately locking on hers.

"I'm fucked too."

* * *

Mechanical. The day had been mechanical. Just going through the motions, as nothing had changed. The fact was however, that in just two hours, everything had changed. Fourteen years old. That poor boy had only been fourteen years old and had almost died as a consequence of one man's stupidity. The court had decided therefore that it was only fitting that fourteen years was the ideal sentence.

Anger, was the first emotion that overtook her. This idiot of a man was her brother! And he'd almost killed someone; a child, for Christ's sakes! He deserved everything that was given to him, and Beth believed that wholeheartedly. Her anger fueled her. The day passed by so quickly. Until the anger faded. And then there was just sadness. A deep, painful sadness that tugged on every part of her. Her body felt heavy, her mind was clouded and her heart was breaking slowly. Evan was all that she had left. Their mother had died several years before and they'd never known their father as he'd left when they were only little, never to be seen or heard from again. For years, it had been just the two of them, supporting each other. And now because of his own stupidity, they were going to be separated. She wanted to be angry but, after a while, there was no anger left and all she could feel was the oncoming isolation. She had no other family and she wasn't ready to be alone.

She'd closed the coffee shop early. She couldn't deal with all the noise and the people. As soon as it had slowed down, she'd shut up shop. Juice had called her several times but she'd ignored him. She needed to be alone. She also needed a drink. Settled behind the bar, Beth had drowned her sorrows.

After almost four hours of straight vodka and tears, she was a wreck. Her skin had broken out in big, blotchy, red patches across her chest and arms. Her cheeks were stained heavily with tears and her eyes were rimmed with ruined mascara. She'd bitten her lip to the point of bursting through the skin and drawing blood. All Beth wanted was for the pain to go away. Slowly, her tiny hands gripped the neck of the vodka bottle. With her free hand, she twisted open the lid, sniffing softly at the satisfying snap. Freshly opened, this was her second bottle. An empty bottle lay beside her, reminding her that she'd already swallowed down an entire litre. If she drank any more, she was going to end up in a goddamn hospital. But she couldn't drive home. Reaching up, Beth gripped the edge of the coffee bar and attempted to pull herself up. She got half way to a standing position before she toppled straight back down to the floor. Hell, she couldn't even stand up. Instead, she lay on the floor, something digging into her thigh. She reached down to pull at whatever was pressing against her. Her blurry vision took a few seconds to make out the image of her phone in her hand. Her head began to spin and she immediately wondered what Juice was doing. With slow, fumbling fingers, she searched through her phone for his number. It took a few moments but she eventually found it, and dialed. It rang four times before she heard his voice.

"Beth? Where have you been? I've been calling you all day." he spoke, his voice raspy.

"Where are you? What are you doing?" she asked, her words severely slurred.

"I was just on my way back to TM. Is everything okay? You don't sound so great." he spoke, concern in his voice.

"I'm great!" she practically yelled. "I'm really, really drunk and I-" she broke off, a sob tearing through her body.

"Beth, are you crying? Where are you? What's wrong? What happened?" Juice rambled, his voice rising and the worry becoming more evident.

"I just...I'm drunk. Very drunk. And I'm alone and I just want...where are you, Juice? Will you come get me? I need you." Beth sobbed.

"I'm coming to get you. Are you at the coffee shop?" he asked, and she managed to choke out a tear-filled yes. "Okay sweetheart, just stay there, I won't be long."

The line went dead then. Slowly, Beth dropped her phone down beside her and closed her eyes. Juice was coming for her. Like some kind of knight in shining armour. She couldn't remember the last time a knight rode a Harley though. She liked that about him though. Her knight was not like other knights; her knight wore leather and rode a motorcycle and was a computer geek with a mohawk and tribal tattoos. He was so much better than those other knights, she'd decided. They wouldn't understand her screwed up life. Maybe Juice understood because his life was screwed up too. They were pretty good together, really. They were both alone and a little messed up. They needed each other, even if neither of them were quite willing to admit that yet. A smile spread across her lips. Juice would save her. They would save each other.

* * *

The coffee shop had been a mess when he'd arrived. Cups and equipment were scattered across the bar and floor. A few chairs had been knocked over and one had a broken leg. He'd found her lying behind the bar, an empty bottle of vodka lying beside her and a second, half empty bottle in her hand. Her face was streaked tears and her makeup had run, leaving thin black rings beneath her eyes with a few smudges spread across her cheeks. The middle of her lips was bright red and the skin broken from where she had clearly bitten a little too hard. Her pupils were huge although her eyes were heavy and distant. She looked as broken as she must have felt. He was impressed she wasn't in a damn coma after the litre and half of vodka she'd drank. Carefully, he crouched beside her, taking her hands and pulling her into a seated position.

"Beth? Baby, can you hear me?" he asked her, his tone as soft as he could possibly make it although the rasp was still clear.

"Juice?" she asked, slurring, blinking hard and squinting her eyes.

"Yeah, it's me."

Suddenly, she launched herself into his arms. She gripped him tightly, her arms swinging around his shoulders, her face buried into his cut. He could feel her body shaking fiercely as she cried against him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, one hand stroking her hair soothingly. She calmed after a few minutes and pulled back from him. Quickly, she wiped at her eyes with her hands, smearing black mascara across her pale skin. Those pretty blue eyes turned up to meet his, filled with tears.

"What happened?" he asked tentatively.

"It was his trial today." she whispered, dropping her eyes. "Fourteen years. I know that he deserved it but he...Evan's the only family I have left and now he's gone and I'm...I'm alone. I don't know how to be alone, Juice. I'm twenty-six, I'm barely and adult, I can't...I'm not ready to be alone!" she sobbed as tears took over her once more and he pulled her closer, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.

"How about we get you home?"

Without bothering to wait for a reply, Juice began to move. He slipped one arm beneath her legs and the other around her back. With her arms around already around him, he stood, pulling her up with him. She hummed softly and pulled herself as close to him as her position would allow. He carried her from the shop, letting her flick the lights off and smiling every time she giggled childishly as the lights flickered before turning off. He set her down only to lock the door and take her car keys from her.

"You're not driving my car." she protested loudly.

"Well you're certain;y not driving it and there's no way you can stay upright on my bike so yeah, I am driving you car." he retorted cheekily.

Carefully, he set Beth in the passenger's seat despite her severe look of disapproval. After he settled himself in the driver's seat and started up the car, it only took five minutes or so to reach her home. Once again, he picked her up and carried her up to the door, setting her down to unlock it and let them in. It was then that she tugged on his collar.

"What's that?" she slurred but her eyebrows were knitted together suspiciously.

"It's nothing. Minor accident today, I'm fine." he responded, attempting to shut down the conversation.

"Doesn't look minor." she scoffed, tugging hard on his collar, making him wince. "Looks like something tried to...to...you know like...when you can't breathe." she continued, attempting to describe choking.

He stayed quiet and simply closed the door behind them, keeping his eyes down. Beth grabbed at him, pulling his cut hard. He spun around to face her and she stumbled forward, crashing into him. His back hit the door and her arms immediately circled her body, her tiny hands gripping his shirt. There eyes met and for a few moments, they simply stared at each other. Then, slowly, Juice let his body slide downwards, taking her with him until they were both seated on the floor, with Beth straddling his hips. She reached up slowly and unbuttoned his cut, exposing the thick, dark bruise around his neck. Her fingers traced it gently. He noticed that her eyes were full of tears again.

"Is that what happened?" she asked quietly, and he simply nodded.

"I don't think we should talk-" he began.

"Please?" she interrupted him, meeting his eyes.

"I gave Roosevelt the sample today. He busted me on a fake possession charge. Took me in for a piss test and told he'd never wanted this to happen the way it did. The club's worried. They think I can't handle it and they're right, I can't. They just don't know all the details. Clay gave me this patch," he paused and pointed to the Men of Mayhem patch now sewn onto his cut. "Says I earned it. But I didn't. I killed a brother. I lied and stole from the club. I'm a coward. I feel so pathetic and I just wanted that to stop and I...I tied a chain to a tree and swung." he spoke blatantly, not bothering to hide the truth from her.

"But, you're alive?" she questioned, frowning, which made him laugh humorlessly.

"The branch broke. I was disappointed, to be honest. I wanted to die. And then you called. Said you needed me. And then I didn't want to die anymore." he explained softly, tears in his own eyes now.

Slowly, Beth leaned forward. Her lips met his lightly and he could taste the vodka and tears that coated them. Her hands held tight to his shirt and he let his hands take hold of her, one on her hip and the other in her hair. Neither of them made a move to deepen the kiss. They were simply content to feel the comfort that this gentleness provided. When she pulled back, fresh tears had slipped down her cheeks but she smiled anyway.

"I do need you, Juice. Who else would come rescue me from myself?" she laughed softly.

He rolled his eyes and picked her up for the third time that night. He carried her towards her bedroom and she snuggled into him. When he set her down, she immediately began to undress. She stripped down to some rather lacy lingerie, at which Juice innocently averted his eyes, ignoring her giggle. She was drunk after all. He could hear her blankets rustling as she got into bed.

"You coming?" she asked.

Turning back to face her, he nodded dumbly. Her eyes lingered on him, although unfocused, as he removed his shirt and pants. She shuffled back slightly as he climbed into bed beside her. She then shuffled back, curling up beside him, wrapping her body around his. He slipped his arms around her and she hummed appreciatively. They lay together like that for a while before she spoke.

"Promise me something, Juice?" she asked.

"What's that?" he asked in response.

"Don't ever leave me alone?" she whispered sleepily.

"I promise." he smiled softly.


	7. Take Me Home

**I am so sorry this took so long! I've got a lot on at uni right now and it's taken up all my time but I thought I'd knock this one out before I started my next assignment. So, here is chapter seven! Now, for some people, this might not be a great chapter to read because it discusses a lot of both Juice's and Beth's feelings towards Juice's attempted suicide. The next chapter will also probably contain a bit of that and I understand that this may be triggering for some people so I just thought I'd give you a heads up! Onto more cheery stuff however, this chapter experiments with more Scottish slang than I'd usually use. I _am_ Scottish so all of this is legit slang! However, some of it is probably regional slang so if you're Scottish as well (or from anywhere really) and there's any slang you haven't heard or don't understand, feel free to drop me a message and ask! As always, reviews are welcomed and loved!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

Pain was something which was inevitable, whether it be physical or mental. However, the two were very different. Physical pain left a scar. A shiny little reminder of something that once hurt but no longer made a difference to life. Mental pain left no mark. It was a dark presence that clouded every thought and feeling; a rain cloud that never went away. That morning however, Beth found it rather difficult to differentiate between the pain in her head and the pain in her heart.

She woke early, as she always did after a night of heavy drinking. Her mouth felt like sandpaper and she could have sworn she had a little drummer boy inside her brain. The littlest movements caused her stomach to react in the most unsavory ways. Every limb ached. And this was only the beginning of her hangover. It would get worse. It always did. The soothing rhythm of Juice's breath blowing lightly across her shoulder was the only thing stopping her from throwing her head down the toilet and committing to a day collapsed on the bathroom floor until the nausea passed. God knows she wanted to; but she also didn't want to move. At some point - she was assuming before she went (or was put) to bed - she'd stripped off her clothes and resorted to sleeping only her bra and panties. A rather flashy set, if she did say so herself. Juice wore only his boxers and he had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, one arm beneath her and the other curled over her. Their legs were a tangle beneath the sheets and he had his face hidden in her hair. Warmth radiated from his body and calmed her both physically and mentally. She wasn't quite sure what that meant but she was in no position to question it right then.

"Stop thinking so loud." his voice grumbled from behind her. "It's too early."

"How'd you know I was awake?" she asked quietly, skimming her fingerstips over his knuckles.

"I'm not actually a biker, I'm a psychic. I read your mind." he joked, and she smiled.

"Aw aye? What was I thinking then?" she asked, keeping her eyes trained on the window.

"You were thinking," a pause as he raised himself up to lean on one elbow, somehow managing to keep his hold on her. "About how much you wanna throw up...probably." he finished.

"That was scarily accurate." she laughed, shifting slowly to lie on her back so she could face him. "But that's not all I was thinking about."

"You know what I was thinking about?" he asked her, and she shook her head in the negative. "I was thinking about how much I didn't want you to get out of bed. Then I remembered that _I_ have to get out of bed. And now I'm thinking about how much trouble I'd get in if I 'accidentally' missed the leadership vote." he smirked.

"You can't just patch the vote!" she protested, pushing at his shoulder and wincing as her stomach turned. "It's important," she continued anyway. "You might end up with a new President."

"I can't _what_ the vote?" he questioned, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Patch." she answered confusedly herself before remembering that he very rarely understood her Scottish slang. "It means ignore." she clarified.

"Well, I'm sure they'd let me patch the vote if I told them I had a certain hungover school teacher to take care of." he mocked, leaning closer with every word.

His lips met hers gingerly, and she could taste the salt of tears. They'd cried. Beth was aware that she had cried after Evan's sentencing and her decision to crack open a bottle of vodka, but she couldn't remember why Juice had been crying. She had a feeling it had something to do with the dark, angry bruise around his throat. To think that he'd been hurt, hurt her. She kissed him harder, her hands grabbing at his shoulder and ribs, pulling him closer. He responded eagerly for a moment, moving over her, one hand wrapping in the ends of her hair whilst the other rested by her own ribs, supporting his weight. However, he then pulled back with a soft laugh as she pouted. He swiped his thumb across her lower lip and smiled that wide smile she'd first witnessed that day at the prison but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I think you might be a little too fragile today for any kind of," he paused and rolled his eyes, clearly trying to think of the right word. "Movement in general." he concluded. "Maybe you should call in sick to work. You've already missed half your shift at the coffee shop this morning."

"Oh, God; I am a disgrace." she groaned. "How much did I drink? Was it bad? Did you bring me home?" she quizzed, trying to distract herself as he lay beside her once more.

"A litre and a half of vodka. Yeah, you called me and I brought you home." he answered honestly, pulling her into him. "How much do you remember?" he then asked.

"Not much. I don't remember why you were crying." she hinted tentatively, and he sighed heavily.

"You don't need to take on my problems, Beth. I think you have enough of your own right now." he shut her down.

" _You_ became my problem when you turned up at my door with a bullet in your leg. You can't back out now." she persisted, and he sighed again.

"Do you really want to talk about this?" he asked, turning his eyes down to her.

"You don't have to give me the details, if you don't want to. But I at least wanna know the basics." she answered softly, sitting up beside him slowly.

"Shit, Beth." he cursed, turning his eyes away from her, running a hand over his face. "I...I don't know how to, to say it, I..." he broke off and blinked several times before sucking in a deep breath. "It was attempted suicide, okay?"

He practically yelled, as if shouting it out would make it easier to accept. He kept his eyes turned away from her and his breathing had suddenly become ragged, as if he were fighting to keep it steady. Slowly, so as not to upset her fragile stomach, she raised herself up and swung one leg across his hips, straddling him. Resting one hand on his chest, she used her free hand to gently turn his face back to her. There were tears in his eyes but his jaw was clenched tight and she could see how hard he was trying to stop those tears from falling.

"Sit up." she spoke softly.

He hesitated a moment, looking away with a humourless, barking laugh before turning back and obeying her. As soon as they were eye level, she leaned into him. Her lips barely ghosted over his and she placed her hands on either side of his heartbroken face. He reluctantly met her eyes and she smiled at him as lovingly as she could. He did not return the smile but rather, crumbled under her touch. He practically collapsed into her, his arms wrapping around her body so tightly she genuinely feared the contents of her stomach joining them in bed. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and she could feel his tears as they fell heavy on her skin. Carefully, Beth wrapped her arms around his shoulders, one hand stroking his back as the other rested lightly on the nape of his neck. She said nothing, just holding him as he broke down. At that moment, she couldn't help but marvel at their situation. They'd known each other what, two weeks? Two weeks and a bit. And they were currently sitting in her bed, both half naked. He'd told her his darkest secrets and she'd accepted him. He'd witnessed her fall apart at the very seams and had taken her home and tried to stitch her back together. He'd attempted suicide and all she wanted to do was make his pain go away. She wanted to be strong for him and help him. A man, as he'd pointed out a few days prior, she barely knew. What she did know, was that she wanted to make him better again.

"You okay, darlin'?" she asked when he'd cried himself dry.

He didn't answer. Instead, he simply shook his head and pulled her impossibly closer. As gently as she could, she pressed a kiss to the side of his head. He pulled back slowly as a result and gazed up at her. His eyes were scarlet red and his cheeks tear-stained. He seemed to study her for a moment and she remained quiet as he conducted this study. He would speak when he was ready.

"You said you needed me last night." he spoke plainly, although his voice was thick from crying. "And now you don't even remember saying it."

"Just because I was a drunken mess doesn't mean I didn't mean what I said, sweetheart." she responded soothingly.

"Do you mean it now?" he asked, rolling his eyes at the increasingly sappy moment.

"Yes, Juice, I still mean it." she smiled.

"Why?" he demanded, rather than asked.

"I need you, Juice, because despite the fact that, as you pointed out, we barely know each other, you care about me. Yesterday," a pause. "I can't imagine the state I was in last night. I was told yesterday that my brother, the only family I got, is gonna spend the next fourteen years in a cell because, basically, he's a fucking idiot. Honestly, I am a very _broken_ individual. But I bottle things up because I don't know how to talk about myself and I let things build up until I reach breaking point. That's what happened last night. And today, I'll go back to normal. I'll go back to being a poorly packaged parcel with lots of wee, broken pieces inside until the next time someone drops the box and they break free. And you, Juice, you _watched_ me break and you put aside your own pain to make sure I was okay. You know how many people would do that? Not just for me, I mean for anyone. You need to be a really special kind of person to do that kind of thing; to care about other people. And you care about me. And I care about you, Juice. I want to put _you_ back together again, even if it's just for a little while. I need you to care for me so that I can care for you. Do you understand what I'm saying darlin'?"

A bruised silence hung heavily in the air. For several minutes, they simply stared at each other. A million thoughts ran through Beth's mind. What if she was wrong? What if this wasn't what he wanted? What if he rejected her? She wasn't sure she could handle that right now. Her hands began to tremble. Juice however, moved his hands down to her hips. They rested there for a minute before he raised one hand to brush through her hair.

"I know it's only been two weeks, but I think I kinda love you." he spoke softly.

A very brief silence surrounded them this time before it was broken by the sound of their laughter. A smile appeared on his face once more, one that did reach his eyes this time and in response, she grabbed him by the shoulders, still laughing, and kissed him hard. His response was to slide both hands into her dark hair, holding her against him. She could feel the muscles in his shoulders moving beneath his skin and she smirked into the kiss. Without another thought, she flicked her tongue against his lower lip, brief and light. He was having none of that. His own tongue parted her lips and the kiss deepened considerably, growing much more heated than any kiss shared before. Somewhat curiously, as if testing his reaction, she wriggled her hips against his, earning in a rather primal growl from Juice. And then a ringing interrupted them.

"Fuck!" he cursed, pulling back and scrambling for his phone as she moved to lie beside him. "Again?"

He tugged her blankets up around his hips in an attempt to hide his growing erection, and she could only giggle as he answered his phone angrily. A Scottish accent could be heard on the other line and she knew it was Chibs. The phone call was short and rather tense on Juice's part. When he finally hung up, he tossed his phone to the floor and collapsed beside her, his hands covering his face.

"I'm needed at church for the leadership vote." he groaned through his fingers.

"You better go," she mocked innocently, moving to her side. "Or you might not be allowed to come back to me." she added, brushing her lips against his neck.

"That mouth of yours is starting to make me doubt my loyalty to this club." he chided with a shiver.

"Just my mouth?" she asked suggestively.

His eyes turned to her quickly. She was still mostly uncovered by the blanket. She watched as his eyes roamed her body. They lingered most on her chest and hips, but still spent a considerably amount of time studying everything in between - particularly her tattoo. His tongue swiped across his lower lip before he met her eyes.

"Among other things." he finally answered, making her laugh.

"You better get going or you'll end up in trouble. I'll be here when you get back." she promised.

With a sigh and a roll of his still red rimmed eyes, Juice got out of bed. She watched as he tugged his clothes on before setting himself on the edge of the bed to tie on his boots. He turned back to her as he shrugged on his cut, followed by his hoodie. He then leaned across the bed and captured her mouth with his own once more. This was a more gentle kiss but the passion was still there. When he pulled back, his eyes were slightly watery again but in a glassy kind of way, rather than the threat of tears. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"I'll see you later, Beth. Promise."

* * *

It had been a simple plan. Break away from the rest of the club, get rid of the evidence, and then everything would be okay. It would all go back to normal. There would be no chains or broken branches and the bruise would eventually fade away and the whole ordeal would be nothing more than a bad memory. But nothing was ever that easy. How was he to know he'd be followed? He should have paid more attention to his surroundings but he'd been so desperate to cover his tracks that all he'd heard was the sound of his own heart beating oh so loudly. And then it was too late.

Now, the loudest sound was the rattling of Beth's door as Chibs' fist pounded on it repeatedly. The poor door shook violently in its frame with the force of the persistent banging. Chibs called out her name, demanding that she open the door, his free hand gripping Juice's upper arm painfully tight. It was a little before midnight but they both knew she was home. She'd called in sick to work after all. When she answered the door, his heart stopped. Her eyes were narrowed considerably and her mouth was set in a hard line, jaw clenched. She held the door open with one hand, the other placed on the door frame, arm outstretched to block entrance to the house. She was clearly not happy.

"Ye tryin' tae brek the fuckin' hinges? Whi' the fuck d'ye want?" she snapped.

Both men absent mindedly leaned back, as if she'd just spat fire at them. Juice noticed that her accent was thicker and the pronounciation of her words extremely unusual. Slang, he presumed, although he had no idea what she'd said. He didn't need to know. She was angry, that was all he needed to know, and he was guessing it was better to keep his mouth shut.

"Did you know?" Chibs snapped back, stepping towards her intimidatingly.

An incredibly uncomfortable silence hung heavy in the air. Beth's normally bright eyes were darkened with cold fury, completely void of all other emotion. Chibs' breathing was eerily steady considering the rage he obviously felt. Their little staring competition seemed to last an age but was in fact, only a few minutes. During that time, some kind of understanding seemed to have passed between the two, as Beth stepped back and cleared the doorway. She remained quiet but nodded subtly, inviting them inside. Juice moved first, pulling himself free of Chibs' grip and heading straight for the kitchen. His hands hit the edge of her little island counter hard and a brief spasm of pain travelled through his arms. His teeth squeaked and ground together as he clenched his jaw. In the hall, he could hear Chibs and Beth whisper-shouting at each other. It was evident that she won because the loud slam of the door was followed almost immediately by the roaring of a bike. That thought made him smirk. Not many women threw a Son out of their house, for whatever reason.

Upon that thought, he felt small, warm hands glide across his back. He hadn't even heard her enter the kitchen. Her hands continued to move until her arms were wrapped loosely around his middle and her body was pressed against his. She was quiet and it was killing him. Juice understood that he could be a difficult person to speak to. He didn't like opening up about the mess inside his head and Beth seemed to understand that. He didn't want her to. He wanted her to ask him questions. At least then it would be easier to shut her down and play it all off as no big deal. Instead, she was always quiet, waiting for him to speak first. And when she was quiet, he wanted to speak because he knew that she would only listen; she wouldn't interrupt or judge him. She just accepted whatever he had to say. He hated how well she knew him already.

"Why do you do that?" he asked, keeping his eyes down. "Why do you keep quiet and wait for me to spill my guts to you?"

"You don't have to tell you anything you don't want to, Juice. I'm just giving you the option." she answered immediately.

"What if I don't want to tell you?" he challenged.

"Then don't." came her simple reply.

He turned to her then. She stepped back a little, completely releasing him from her hold. Slowly, Juice took her in: she wore a low cut, silk camisole style shirt that floated loosely around her body; her legs were hidden away by tight fitting, black leggings; her hair hung in loose waves around her face, trailing across her back and shoulders. His mind went blank and he grabbed at her, crashing his mouth into hers. She must have been surprised, because she didn't respond immediately. After a few moments however, her lips parted and she moved into him, the softest moan leaving her. He lost it then. Gripping her hips hard enough to bruise, he lifted her, turned, and set her on the countertop. Her legs fell open and he immediately stepped between them, pulling her body impossibly close to his own. Her arms looped carelessly around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. He reached up with one hand, tangling it in the long darkness of her hair. He tugged hard and her head tipped back with a hiss. Immediately, he traced rough, harsh kisses across her neck, leaving angry, red marks on her pale skin. Her tiny hands gripped at the back of his hoodie tightly and she whispered his name, breathy and desperate. However, his brain seemed to kick back into gear then and he tore himself away from her, putting a great deal of distance between them. He ran his hands over his head and could feel the familiar sting of tears in his eyes. He spun quickly, throwing out one arm and knocking a glass to the floor. He didn't register the sound but he knew it had shattered. Like his life.

"Shit." he cussed, his body turning in various directions. "Fuck!"

"Juice?" her voice asked quietly, tentatively, and still a little breathless.

"It shouldn't be like this, Beth!" he snapped, turning to her. "It shouldn't be...I should want...I shouldn't want to _fuck_ you because it's a _distraction_. I shouldn't want that because it's gonna make me _feel_ better." he barked out, his voice breaking but venemous. "I shouldn't have to look for distractions or make myself feel better. I'm twenty-eight fucking years old and my life is _falling apart_ and I can't do anything to stop it and I-" he broke off, moving back into her personal space quickly but she didn't react. "You are what I look forward to, _every day_. Seeing you, listening to you talk and laugh. Lying with you, sleeping with you. I don't _need_ sex with you, Beth because you make something happen inside my _head_ that I didn't know could happen! It's quiet when you're there and I can just pay attention to you and forget everything else. I shouldn't want...I don't want mindless fucking to take my mind off of my problems. If I wanted that, there's a shit-ton of crow-eaters lined up at the club house. But I don't! I don't want that! I want to _talk_ and make all the curves and squiggly lines and all that shit in my head...I want to sort that out and get it straight! I don't know what you've done to my head but you fuck with it in the best kind of way and I _can't_ screw this up cause it's all I've got right now and-"

He broke off as a sob wracked through his body. Immediately, he felt Beth's fingers wrap around his wrists. She pulled gently, allowing him the option to back away. Slowly, he moved as she guided him and let her hold him. A little hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her in return and leaned forward to let his forhead rest on her shoulder. Neither of them spoke, and he was too tired to cry again. He just wanted to sleep. With his pretty prison girl. And forget all the problems of the day.

"You wanna go to bed, sweetheart?" she asked softly.

He nodded simply and stepped back from her. His eyes flickered down to the glass covered floor and he frowned.

"Sorry about the glass." he apologised.

"It's just a glass, don't worry about it." she laughed quietly.

Gently, Juice reached for her. Placing his hands behind her knees, he secured her legs around his waist. Then, he took hold of her wrists, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Finally, innocently, he picked her up, and she smiled, and he carried her towards her bedroom. He could honestly say he'd never been so excited to sleep with a girl, even without the sex, in all his life. Especially this girl.


	8. Say You Love Me

**Hello my lovelies! I'm sorry it's taken so long but here is chapter eight! I don't have much to say about this chapter here but I do have a quick question! All of my chapters are named after songs and I was just wondering if anyone would be interested in a little list of these songs? I feel like it might help set the tone! Anyways, as always, I love reviews, I love to know what you think so feel free to send them on in!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

It seemed that, as time passed, the mornings changed. Those first few months had consisted of sunshine and warmth, as was the way of California. The past few months however, had consisted of an encroaching darkness and a chill that made itself more and more present every day. Something was in the air. Charming was changing. What had once been a beautiful and relatively peaceful little town was now plagued with so many different threats that, dangerous, was not quite strong enough a description.

The morning after Juice's emotional breakdown had been strange. She'd woken up, fully clothed, to a note from Juice explaining that he was needed at the club house. That thought alone had scared her. He never left without speaking to her, if he stayed. Stranger still, she hadn't seen him since. It had been almost twenty-four hours and she hadn't heard a single word from her little computer geek. She'd had half a mind to go looking for him but had eventually decided against it. God only knew what would happen if she turned up at TM looking for Juice. Whatever that might be, Beth knew it was more than likely that it would not go down well.

Now, she sat at home, a cup of coffee in hand, aimlessly flicking through numerous television channels. Against her will, she'd been given the rest of the week off work. Apparently Principal Turner thought she needed time to collect herself after recent events. Yes, Evan had been sentenced to fourteen years in jail; life went on. It had been a long time since Beth thought the world stopped to accommodate those in pain. She knew better now. And that was why she was scared. Juice was in pain and no one had even noticed. No one had taken the time to bother to notice. Even his fellow club members seemed to overlook his evident emotional trauma in favour of focusing on the club, and only the club. She supposed that was the way they were trained to think: the club would always come first. She just wished at least one of them would take the time to realise that the club was causing some serious mental damage.

A loud knock pulled her from her thoughts. Quickly, Beth set her coffee cup down and got to her feet. She practically ran for the door, hoping to God she would find Juice standing on the other side of it with some bullshit story about why he had disappeared, simultaneously making a mental note to let him know it was okay for him to just walk into the house. Knocking was perhaps a bit useless at this point, considering their relationship, regardless of how confusing it may be. With all the strength she could muster, she ripped the door open and her face fell. It was Chibs. She had a sudden fear in the pit of her stomach. If Chibs felt the need to come see her in person, it couldn't be good news.

"You mind if I come in?" he asked almost shyly.

Why would he need to come in? Oh God, this definitely was not good news. If something had happened to Juice- God, no! She couldn't think like that! Nothing had happened to him; he was fine. He had to be. She realised then that Chibs had fixed her with an expectant look, and she ducked her head and stepped aside.

"Ehm, aye, sorry."

Chibs entered the house and she closed the door behind him. They both stood awkwardly for a moment before Beth cleared her throat and turned, making her way towards the kitchen. Heavy footsteps followed and it felt like each thump of his boots against her floor was another nail in a coffin. She knew it was wrong to immediately think the worst but she couldn't help herself. She wasn't quite sure how but Juice had worked his way under her skin without her even realising. She cared about him and wanted to know that he was okay. Needed to know that he was okay.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Chibs set himself at the little island counter. Beth positioned herself opposite him but remained standing. She was too nervous to sit. Her eyes studied him curiously, looking for some kind of sign, anything that would let her know why he had felt the need to visit. Nothing appeared to be out of place. He wore his cut over his usual leather jacket. His hair was messy, as though it hadn't seen a brush in a few days, and greying. The subtle scars on his face were somewhat hidden by the growing of a beard but still noticeable if you knew where to look. His lips were pressed tightly together, not giving anything away. It was his eyes that betrayed him. The worry present there was almost frightening. This was definitely not good.

"You eh, you want a drink, or something?" she asked politely but he shook his head.

"I'm alright, thanks. I just came by to ask if you've seen Juice?" he spoke, careful in the phrasing of his words.

"No," she answered honestly. "Not since that night you brought him by. He was gone when I got up. Just left a note saying he was needed at the club house. I tried phoning him but he's not answering." she explained. "Guessing you're not getting an answer either?"

"Seems not." Chibs sighed. "Roosevelt says he picked our Juicy-boy up yesterday but released him last night. Hasn't been seen since. Gemma said to try his old girlfriend's place but I thought you'd have been his first stop."

"Why would you think he'd come see me?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Let's not play that game. Juice isn't one for casual hook-ups. I know, for the past two weeks, he's been coming here. Brought him here twice myself. I don't know what you've got that keeps him running back here but whatever it is, it's making him happy. I saw that when I first brought him here. He hasn't smiled in a long time. I think you're good for him." he rambled on, obviously attempting to make it clear he approved.

"That's not what you said on Tuesday." she responded coldly.

"I was wrong on Tuesday. Listen, I love that boy and I don't like seeing him all messed up like this. Someone needed to be blamed and I thought it was you. I'm sorry about that."

An awkward silence fell between them, neither quite sure how to continue. Turning her eyes away, Beth let herself settle into a stool opposite Chibs. Her mind was racing. So, no one had seen Juice? And Gemma thought he would be with his ex? Well, wasn't that a kick in the teeth? Would he really do that? Then again, they'd only known each other almost three weeks, who knew how long he'd known his ex? And lately, everything had been rather...heavy, she supposed. A lot had been weighing down on him and it would make sense for him to want to escape all that. But she'd thought that's why he kept coming back to her. That's what he'd said, after all, wasnt it? He looked forward to seeing her? It seemed stupid now, to think that he would care so quickly. Three weeks was definitely not enough time to develop feelings for someone. If that were the case thought, why did she feel so hurt that he hadn't come to her?

"You really don't know where he is?" she asked quietly.

"Wouldn't be here if I did." came Chibs' response, causing Beth to look up. "And I don't think he'd go to Jessica's. They haven't been together in over a year and he never talks about her. Not like he used to anyway. You took over there, all he talks about now." he continued, apparently trying to make her feel better.

"Why don't you give me your number and I'll let you know when I find him?" he suggested.

With a soft nod, she recited her phone number, allowing Chibs to take note of it.

* * *

The problem with towns and cities was that you couldn't see the stars. The harsh, orange glare of streetlights clouded the sky, shielding the bright little dots from view. To see the stars would mean leaving town and finding a spot so high up and isolated the it would be impossible for the streetlights to have any effect. As night went on, Juice found himself craving the sight of the stars more and more. He'd always lived in towns and cities and so, it wasn't exactly commonplace to see the stars anyway but, those days on the road, when he had no where to go and no one to see, when the only place he belonged was on the right side of some broken yellow lines, beneath the pale blue and sunshine of day, or the dark velvet and moonlight of night - those had been the best times. Those were the times when he felt most free. And now, he was trapped. In another town with more problems than he could even comprehend. He didn't have much; his bike and his club. There was Beth, of course, but he still wasn't quite sure how he wanted to pursue that part of his life. Including her would mean endangering her but leaving her would mean hurting himself, emotionally at least. He supposed, he needed her too. She made him feel a little less lonely, a little more wanted. More wanted than the club had been making him feel lately, that was for sure. There was a gnawing in his stomach when he thought of her. It had been two days since he'd last seen her and she was probably mad at him. He hadn't even called her. Yeah, she was definitely going to be mad.

A soft sigh escaped his lips and he tipped his head back. His eyes focused on the orange tinted sky above him. Everything was going wrong. First of all, he'd more than likely pissed off the only person willing to listen to him lately. Not only that, he'd just accepted a deal proposed to him by Lincoln fucking Potter that could potentially destroy his entire club. And Clay had just appeared out of nowhere, duffel bag in hand, so clearly he and Gemma were having and problems and that did not bode well for anyone. The Sons of Anarchy were in so much shit that it was almost impossible to concentrate on anything and that was putting aside his own current issues.

Upon that thought, a familiar roar followed by a set of headlights entered the compound. Turning slowly, Juice eyed the Camaro as it parked, and began making his way towards it. Before he could reach the car however, she was already out, door left hanging open as she marched towards him. She wore light gray yoga pants tucked into Timberland boots, and an illuminous pink sports bra. Her hair was braided and she wore no makeup. It was the usual look she adopted whenever she had just come out of the shower. It was a good look, he thought.

"So, what? Ye canny pick up a phone?" she demanded.

They both came to a stop, mere inches from each other. Her features were angry but her eyes held no heat, only worry. Her mouth was set in a firm line and he could still see the little red marks left over on her lip from where her own teeth had destroyed the skin there just a few nights before. Her arms were crossed over her chest (providing a lovely view of her cleavage, of course) and she had one hip cocked. For all intents and purposes, she looked like a disapproving teacher. And that only made him smile. He reached for her, placing both hands on her waist. Surprisingly, she didnt pull away from him and so, he pulled her closer. Without another thought, he ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers. Her response was immediate and she placed her hands on his chest, but she also pulled away quickly.

"Stop trying to distract me, Juice, I'm trying to be angry with you." she spoke, although her voice was quiet and her tone softer.

"Wanna go a drive, or something?" he asked. "See the stars?"

His eyes trailed her face as she tipped her head back, gazing up at the sky. Her freckles were prominent against her skin under the light of the surrounding buildings. Only now did he realise just how pale she was; white like a ghost, especially when her skin was placed next to his. He also noticed then that she wore two gold hoops as earrings and she had a little white scar on one side of her nose. To him, she appeared almost ethereal, like she would disappear if he let her go. When her pretty blue eyes finally came down to meet his again, they were wide and shining and excited. She breathed deeply before nodding.

"Yeah, let's go somewhere." she agreed, stepping away from him. "But we're taking the car."

Juice didn't disagree. Instead, he followed her with a smile, sliding himself into the passenger's side of her car. It was nice inside. All shiny, black leather and polished perfection. Clearly, she cared a lot about her car. When Beth herself slid into the driver's seat, a strange feeling came over him. For such a petite girl, in that seat, she seemed so powerful, like it was made just for her to take control of and in that seat, she was invincible. He was proud of her, then. With a twist of the key in the ignition, the Camaro came to life around him, rather than beneath him, like a bike. He watched, almost in awe as she worked the gearstick and pulled out of her parking spot. For a moment, he considered wearing a seatbelt but Beth hadn't bothered with one so it felt a little unnecessary. She was a good driver, he noted. Skilled. The way she worked the car let him know that there was no one in the world who could drive it as well as she could. This was her car and she knew every inch of it by heart. As they passed the little sign that declared they were leaving Charming, Juice cast his eyes over to her, simply watching. It seemed she was completely at ease, like in that moment, nothing could disrupt her peaceful state of mind. She must have noticed his staring because she glanced over at him and smiled.

"So, what do you big, bad, biker boys have against cars anyway?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"They're so confined." he answered immediately. "Like everything exists inside this scrap of metal and nothing outside of it can hurt you. I guess that probably comforts some people. It's like a protective bubble; right uptil something smashes right into the side of you. And there goes your bubble. Your bubble kills you." he paused, turning his eyes to the road ahead of them. "It's different on a bike. There's nothing around you to protect you. All you can do is hope to God that you know what you're doing and that you got a good enough handle on everything to not let it crush you. It reminds you just how vulnerable you are, I guess. But that vulnerability makes you feel free."

"You wanna feel free?" she asked, and he could hear the strange yet intriguing tone to her voice.

"Yeah." he answered immediately, turning his eyes to her.

"Okay."

A confident smirk appeared on her lips and his heart jumped a little. Carefully, she flexed her fingers around the steering wheel without letting go, then gripped it tightly. With ease, she rolled her shoulders back and sat a little straighter. He watched as she relaxed herself and then he felt it. It was a slow and steady build, at first. Eighty. But then it increased rapidly. One hundred. The Camaro pushed harder, moved faster. One twenty. The road, for at least a good few miles ahead, was almost perfectly straight. One forty. The world around them was blurred, everything melding together. Shapes no longer existed, just the streaks of colors fading into each other. Only then did he notice the music that played from the radio. He didn't recognise the song but he liked the sound of Beth's quiet voice singing along. For a moment, everything was peaceful. The outside world was a blurry mess and the only clarity came from inside the Camaro. The outside didn't matter then because in that moment, the only thing that truly existed was the inside. And it made him feel free.

A sharp, sudden jerk to the right cut through Juice's thoughts and panic rose within him. Abruptly, he turned his eyes to Beth, only to find a wide, carefree smile on her lips. The car glided around a sharp left with ease and they found themselves engulfed by tall, green trees. His heart was racing in his chest and it took him a moment to regain his composure. Laughter filled the car.

"You look horrified." she spoke simply.

"What? Oh, uh, no." he responded, attempting to sound unfazed. "I'm good."

A frown creased his features as she continued to laugh at him. After a moment or two, the car began to slow until eventually, she pulled it to a stop just outside a rather large, metal fence that was clearly not meant to be crossed. The engine cut off and he heard the jingle of keys as she pulled them from the ignition, tossing them into the air before catch them once more. He turned his eyes to her to find her already looking back at him, her eyes bright and her smile excited.

"Let's go."

At that, Beth pushed open the door and slid out of the car. It wasn't until the door closed behind her that Juice realized she intended for him to follow her. Upon this realization, he too slid out of the car and closed the door behind him. Hitting a button on the car keys, she locked the Camaro and turned, heading for the metal gate between portions of fence.

"What are you doing?" he asked when she hooked her fingers around the metal.

"Well, I'm afraid my ability to walk through walls is acting up right now so, I'm climbing." she responded sarcastically, hoisting herself up to sit atop to the gate.

"I don't think we're supposed to be climbing any gates." he answered warily.

"Are you telling me, that the gun-running, drug muling biker is scared of a wee bitta trespassing?" she laughed, dropping herself down on the other side of the gate. "Come on, Juice. I'd hate to show you up."

"You know that really not funny, Beth." he answered sulkily, climbing the gate anyway.

"Come on, ya big baby." she teased once he dropped down next to her.

With Beth leading the way, they made their way (surprisingly easily, on Beth's part at least) across a large, open field. It was empty, and the grass was long since over grown, almost reaching his waist. Still, he followed his pretty prison girl through the deserted field until finally, she stopped in a little patch in which the grass had not grown, and the ground was merely dusty, dried dirt. Slowly, she turned to face him then, and moved closer. Reaching up, she carefully unzipped his hoodie and all the while, he simply watched her. With ease, she slipped the large garment from his shoulders and turned, setting it neatly on the ground. Then, she turned to him again. This time, she gently slid her hands beneath his cut, similarly removing it from his shoulders. This, she folded neatly and set gently next to his hoodie. Finally, she took his hand and pulled him down to sit on the hoodie with her.

"I think you need to be just Juice for a while." she spoke simply.

Calmly, Beth let her head fall to rest on his shoulder as they sat side by side. She crossed her legs and let her hands rest, clasped gently, on the ground. In response, Juice let his head fall to rest his cheek against the top of her head. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

"You can be a Son again tomorrow."

* * *

Lately, it seemed the days passed with a slow, fading warmth. The brilliant heat of summer and happiness had taken on a strange and unwelcome chill, casting lazy shadows across anything that dared to linger in the light any longer than was permitted. It was funny how, whenever things seemed to be looking up, everything came crashing down. Such was life, it seemed. The good things, when they came, were bright, and hot, and burning like fire. And yet, just like fire, they burned out and died quickly. Good things were not made to last.

The Sons of Anarchy club house was an intimidating building. It stood tall and proud beside Teller-Morrow Automotive, reminding anyone who entered the lot that these men were more than just simple mechanics, and they were not to be messed with. Never, in her entire life, had Beth once set foot inside the club house. And yet, she found that entering the club house was now her intention. Chibs had phoned and demanded that she make an appearance for Juice's benefit. There had been no more information shared but it wasn't necessary; anything that involved Juice was reason enough for her to become involved, regardless of how intimidated she might feel. On the plus side, as she slid easily from her car, she noticed Chibs making his way across the lot towards her and of course, that meant she wouldn't need to enter the club house alone. As he reached her, she noticed the way his eyes raken over her in an analytical way, causing her to glance down at her attire. It was a little after four o'clock in the afternoon and she hadn't had time to go home and change. Therefore, she still wore the pale blue blouse, and the tight, black, pencil skirt, and the black high heels she'd worn to work.

"You get dressed up like that for our Juicy-boy?" Chibs asked, finally meeting her eyes.

"I came from work." she answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I thought you owned a coffee shop? That's a wee bit fancy for a coffee shop, is it no?" he retaliated.

"I teach English at the secondary school." she replied.

"Right." he nodded, turning. "Come on then." he added, starting towards the club house.

"So, you gonna tell me why I'm here?" she asked, falling into step beside him.

"I think it's best if you hear it from Juice. It's been a hard day for the boy."

Silence followed then, and was only broken by the sound of loud rock music as they entered the club house. It was bigger on the inside than it appeared from the outside. Directly opposite the door was a bar, with several men crowded around it, drinking. To the side of her, a pool table rested comfortably as well as several couches, chairs, and little coffee tables. Behind the pool table, hidden behind two large, leather coated doors was another room that she couldn't really see into. A little was down from the double doors was an opening to a corridor that she imagined lead to bedrooms and bathrooms. It smelled like whiskey and petrol, as well as a little sweat but it wasn't entirely displeasing. Carefully, her eyes turned back to the men by the bar, all of whom were now looking at her and Chibs with some rather interesting looks on their faces. Juice was nowhere to be seen. Upon that thought, one of the bar flies began making his way across the room. He stopped just in front of her and she couldn't help but raise a brow. He was taller than her, as was to be expected. His hair was dark, and curly, and a little wild with the beginnings of grey around the roots. His eyes were an incredible shade of blue, she noticed, regardless of the fact they were currently trailing her body rather than actually meeting her own eyes. He wore a smile on his lips that was only a little creepy but seemed mostly appreciative. Like every other man in the building, he wore a Sons of Anarchy cut. After a moment or two, he took her hand and met her eyes.

"I'm Tig." he spoke, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "And just where did Chibs find you?" he asked.

"Well, Tig, woudn't you like to know." she answered with a smile.

Chibs laughed then and reached out, pushing at Tig's shoulder. The latter stumbled back a little, releasing Beth's hand from his grip. His eyes widened a little before his brow furrowed. Carefully, he cocked his head and looked her over again, as if re-evaluating his previous decision on her.

"You're Irish, right? The Kings send you?" he asked.

"Oh my God, don't insult me." she responded immediately and Chibs smothered a laugh. "I'm fucking Scottish, ta very much. You need shot. Canny even tell the difference between Scottish and Irish. Twat."

Laughter erupted throughout the room. Beth crossed her arms and raised a brow expectantly. In response, Tig stepped back and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, muttering apologies. During this little spectacle, the other men had moved away from the bar and formed a little huddle beside them.

"Tig, this is Beth." Chibs introduced her. "She's here for Juice."

At that, Tig dropped his hands and once again, looked her over. He was a very analytical person, it seemed. After a moment or two, he nodded and stepped aside join the huddle that had formed around them, receiving various insults from the other club members. Chibs, on the other hand, tapped her elbow, gaining her attention. When she looked up at him, he nodded towards the corridor and began walking.

"Bye, Tig." Beth smiled innocently, tapping his shoulder.

The room erupted into further laughter and Tig muttered something that she didn't hear. Not that it mattered, her focus was on Juice now. Chibs lead her down the corridor to a large, blue door. No sound came from behind it and worry settled in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes met Chibs' and without looking away, he knocked loudly on the door. For a moment or two, there was no response but then, some shuffling could be heard. With confirmation that Juice was, in fact, about to answer the door, Chibs nodded, and made his way back towards the main room of the club house.

Slowly, Beth turned to face the door just as it opened to reveal Juice. He wore his usual slacks and his black hoodie to cover up his cut. His eyes however, were red and watery. He'd been crying. Immediately, he grabbed her upper arm, dragging her inside what appeared to be a little bathroom. The door slammed behind her and practically simultaneously, her back hit the wood. His hands were gripped tight on her upper arms and he kept her at arms length. They were both silent for a while. He studied her with those deep brown eyes and his lower lip trembled. And then, all of a sudden, he moved, pressing his body hard against hers, trapping her against the door. His mouth collided with hers and she responded without hesitation. Pulling out of his grip, Beth gripped at Juice's hoodie tightly, as if she could pull him closer. Harshly, he moved his hands to her hips, gripping tight enough to leave bruises, replacing the ones he'd left previously that had since faded. Somewhere, in the middle of lips, teeth and tongues, he spoke.

"What are you doing here?" he managed.

"Chibs." she answered breathlessly. "Told me I needed to be here."

His hands began to roam her body in the most delightful way. He tugged at her blouse and her skirt, gripped at her waist and thighs, trailed kisses down her neck. The action sent her mind spiralling until it was impossible to think straight. Of course, that was his intention. It was becoming clear that, whenever Juice didn't want to talk, he resorted to action. It set off warning bells in her head. Something was wrong. Suddenly, he pulled back, his eyes scrutinising her features as though he were seeing them for the first time. She heard the way his breath caught in his throat and his eyes began to water once more.

"I can't lose you." he whispered.

"Juice," she frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm bad for you. My life is so dangerous but I-" he cut himself off and pushed against the door, forcing himself away from her. He ducked his head and twisted his body a little, staring at his own reflection in the mirror above the sink. She wondered what he was thinking then. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't good, that muh was clear. "I can't lose you." he repeated, turning his eyes back to her briefly before letting himself fall to sit on the closed toilet lid, dropping his head into his hands.

Slowly, so as not to startle him, Beth moved closer, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. In response, he sat up straight but kept his eyes down. It was almost as though he were afraid to face her, afraid of what she might say. It hurt her when he acted this way. All she wanted was for him to trust that she would never judge or demean him but it seemed that trust was something Juice struggled with. Along with self-confidence, but that was another matter entirely. Carefully, she settled herself on his knee, smiling at him lightly when he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. After a moment or two, he met her eyes and she smiled wider.

"You're not losing me, Juice. I'm-"

"But I might lose you." he cut her off.

"You might." she nodded softly. "But only if I'm dead."

"That's the problem, Beth." he snapped, his eyes hard and distant. At her look of surprise, his expression softened and he lowered his eyes once more, sucking in a deep breath. "Kozik died today. Blown up in a minefield. I know you didn't know him but that doesn't really matter. He had a brother. Our club is gonna have to call Kozik's brother and tell him that Kozik ain't coming back cause he was too invested in a club and it got him killed." he explained, pausing to swipe at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. He looked up at her then and the worry was written all over his face. "What if that's me one day? Shit; what if that's you one day because of me? All because you know me, Beth! You could die just for knowing me, do you realise that? Do you understand that-"

"Shut up, Juice." she interrupted him. At first, his eyebrows shot upwards in surprise but then they furrowed together and his eyes narrowed in annoyance. He looked rather cute, actually. With a smile, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Do you realise that I could walk out of here right now and get his by a bus? Do you realise that there's literally nothing to stop someone from mugging me? Do you realise, God forbid, there could be a shooting at the school? This is America, after all." she laughed but his annoyed frown remained in place and in fact, actually deepened. "What I'm saying, Juice, is that there's a million and one different ways I could die and none of them have anything to do with you, okay? So shut up."

"Yes, Miss." Juice scoffed, rolling his eyes.


	9. Issues

**Oh my god, I am so sorry! Please don't hate me! So, I know it's been a very long time since I updated this story but I've been rewatching SOA and I felt the love all over again! I've been having a really hard time lately and I've found it difficult to do anything I used to enjoy. It wasn't until recently that I've started to feel like myself again and I started to think that, maybe there's someone out there who feels the same and is just looking for a little something to make themselves feel better. And I thought to myself, maybe I can provide that something - so here it is! CHAPTER NINE! Can you believe it guys, I've written nine chapters!**

 **As always, I welcome reviews from anyone who may be reading this story.**

 **Also, I remembered that I had said I would provide you guys with a little list of all the songs I had named these chapters after. First of all, the overall fic is named after The White Buffalo - House of the Rising Sun. The Chapters are as follows:**

 **1 - 5SOS - She'd Kinda Hot**

 **2 - Blink 182 - First Date**

 **3 - Blue Oyster Cult - Burnin' For You**

 **4 - Ella Eyre - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off**

 **5 - Mumford and Sons - Winter Winds**

 **6 - Christian Kane - Different Kind of Knight**

 **7 - Jess Glynne - Take Me Home**

 **8 - Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me**

 **And this chapter is named after Julia Michaels - Issues.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Beth!**

 **~ crownedinvictoryx**

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the blinds, illuminating the room, as was the case every morning. A disgruntled moan came from beside her and his body twisted away from the window in an attempt to shield his still closed eyes from the intruding light. Beth smiled softly with her own eyes still closed and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling herself against his warm body.

Juice had practically moved in with her now. He stayed almost every night and even had his own coffee cup; he rearranged all her cupboards and drawers, organising them to his liking; he had taken over the drawers at the bottom of her wardrobe, filling them with his clothes and, she assumed she wasn't supposed to have noticed as it was hidden away at the back under one of his hoodies, his gun; he had his own little hook behind the front door on which to hang his cut for Christ's sake. It would have been a lie however, to say that she minded these things because in all honesty, she loved that he now felt comfortable enough to share part of himself with her, no matter how small that part might be. It had been a few days since Kozik's death and Beth could see that Juice hadn't quite been coping with the loss of another club member. She had invited him to stay the night after she'd seen how hurt he was that day in the club house and he simply hadn't left since. It had been a rather strange experience at first: after finally managing to talk him into leaving the safety of the bathroom, he'd offered to show her around the club house. There wasn't really much to see but he'd been so excited at the thought of sharing part of his world with her, and she had so badly wanted to see him smile again, that she'd let him lead her around the building and babble on about his club. And it was worth it to see the way his eyes lit up as he realised she was really listening to him. That was when she knew she'd well and truly fallen for him.

"You're late for work." Juice mumbled, moving his large hand to rest over hers on his stomach.

"See well, I was getting sick of you moaning that I'm never here in the mornings and I've got the money to spare so I hired myself a new employee to do the morning shifts." she answered, opening her eyes with a smirk.

Carefully, Beth moved to prop herself up on her elbow, allowing her to look down on Juice, who chuckled softly and turned to lie flat, briefly fluttering his lashes before fixing her with those deep brown eyes. He smiled lightly and reached up to run a hand through her hair, brushing it back from her face.

"You didn't have to do that." he spoke quietly but she could see how content he suddenly seemed.

"I was starting to get sick of all the early mornings anyway." she shrugged. "And Chloe was looking for a part time job anyway. I figured why not kill two birds with one stone."

"Chloe?" he questioned, frowning a little.

"One of my seniors. She'll be 18 in a few months so I told her if she was willing to take on the morning shifts I'd pay her above minimum wage." she explained.

"Can you afford to do that?" he asked, sitting up quickly in order to be level with her, worry creasing his features. "You know I can help if you need money- "

"As sweet of you as it is to offer, I'll manage." Beth smiled, leaning over to press a soft kiss against his lips. "But thank you. I appreciate it."

At that, she lay herself back down but kept her eyes on him. Juice, on the other hand, remained where he was, his eyes flickering over her. They had both long since lost any notion of shyness that may have once existed, both clothed in only their underwear despite the fact they had yet to actually reach the stage of having sex. Not that either of them particularly minded - they were both quite happy still getting to know and trust each other. After a moment or two, Juice lay back down, sliding an arm beneath her waist and pulling her close. She turned to settle on her side, allowing them to face each other. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and then to her forehead.

"So what are your plans for the day?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

"Do you really want to know?" she responded with a laugh.

"Can't be any worse than my day is going to be." he replied jokingly but there was sadness in his eyes.

"Shut up you." Beth teased with a laugh, pushing at his shoulder in an attempt to lighten the mood. "For all you know, you might have the best day ever today."

"Why, are we staying in bed all day? You gonna get naked?" he smirked and she pushed at his shoulder again.

"You wish." she laughed. "I have to go to work, whether my boss wants me to or not, I can't afford to take all this time off. So, I'm gonna get up and get dressed," she spoke, sitting up and sliding out of bed. "And then I'm gonna come home and get changed to go to the coffee shop. Then, I'm gonna come home and we can get all cuddled up in bed. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds perfect." Juice smiled, a genuine smile although not the wide smile she loved. "The only thing better would be for you to come home earlier."

"I know. The shop's just not doing so great after everything that's happened. Once things pick up I'll hire a few new members to look after the place so I can just deal with the accounts." she promised, turning away from him.

Pulling open the doors to her wardrobe, Beth began searching for her usual school attire - a blouse and skirt. A rustling sound came from behind her before she felt Juice's hands on her waist, his body pressing lightly against hers. He dipped his head to press a kiss to her temple and she tipped her own head back to rest on his shoulder, allowing him to kiss her lips. When he pulled away, he smiled softly, genuinely, although still not that wide smile she'd seen the first time they'd met. But it would suffice for now.

"You'll be here when I get home?" she asked quietly.

"Where else would I be?" he replied, his smile widening.

* * *

It was a nice day. The weather had picked up again and the sun was once more accompanied by its usual warmth. Which of course meant that every resident in Charming would be out on the streets. The good weather always brought out the crowds. Juice hated crowds; nothing more than a bigger group of people who would stare at the cut on his back and make assumptions about the kind of person he was. Throughout the entire time he had lived in Charming, the only person not to immediately judge him was Beth, and she had witnessed his release from prison so that really meant something. It was no secret that he was a broken individual, he knew that himself but when he was with his pretty prison girl, he felt like he stood every chance of piecing himself back together, one tiny piece at a time.

That was why he'd decided to pay her a visit. Well, that and the fact he'd already had the worst day of his life - so far. The Harley roared through the streets, drawing the attention of every passerby. Yet, when he pulled into the parking lot of the high school where she worked, Juice had to admit that he'd never felt quite so admired and feared all at the same time. Shutting off the engine, he dismounted the bike and hung his helmet on the handle bar before striding through the large metal gates and towards the main building. It was a little after 12:30pm and the grounds were packed so he assumed it must be lunch time. All around, he heard whispers as students began telling each other stories about his club but before he could feel self-conscious, a familiar blonde head appeared by his side.

"Hi Juice!" Ellie exclaimed cheerily. "Are you here to see Miss Ryan?"

"Hey Ellie," he responded, thankful for her presence. "You know where she is?"

"Miss Ryan usually has lunch in her classroom so she can catch up on grading. I can show where it is if you like?" the little blonde offered.

Juice simply nodded a yes and allowed Ellie to lead him past the whispers and through the doors of the school's main building. The corridors were hospital white with walls decorated by pale blue lockers and what he would definitely estimate to be at least a thousand posters campaigning for school spirit. It was sickening, Juice thought, and he was suddenly glad he'd never bothered much with high school. Although he couldn't help but wonder how different his life might be if he had. Ellie rounded a corner and immediately rounded again, coming to a halt before a pale blue, open door. She knocked twice before wandering in.

"Miss Ryan? Juice came by to see you." her voice announced.

Moving through the dor behind Ellie, he allowed himself to be confronted with the sight of Beth in full teacher mode. She was sat behind a large wooden desk, her legs hidden but he already knew she was wearing one of the skirts he loved so much - he'd watched her shimmy into it that morning. Her blouse was a dark orange today and her hair hung in long, loose waves down her back. She wore a lipstick that matched her blouse, making her awkwardly blue eyes stand out beautifully. God, she just looked so good, even better than when she'd left that morning. It took him a moment to realise she'd actually spoken to him.

"Huh, what?" he asked dumbly.

"I said," she laughed, "Will you stop staring at me and just sit down."

Juice heard Ellie laugh as well before she threw out her goodbye and wandered out of the classroom. After a few seconds of silence, he moved towards the desk, rounding it to stand next to her, leaning against the edge and crossing his ankles in a similar stance to that Beth had shown that day she'd brought Ellie to TM.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked, reaching out to pull a curly fry from a small bag.

"They're so unhealthy, y'know." he chided, quickly taking the fry from her hand and sticking it in his own mouth, making her laugh.

"You came all this way to dictate what I eat for lunch?" she asked rhetorically, taking another fry from the bag.

"I just wanted to see you before you head to the shop since you won't be home til later." he explained with a shrug.

"Aw, miss me already?" she teased.

Slowly, she stood and Juice immediately reached for her. Beth let him pull her to stand between his legs, smiling when she let her body fall into his, her hands on his chest. Leaning into her, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips, her response light before she pulled back.

"I always miss you when you're not with me." he spoke honestly.

"I know, sweetheart, I know." came her sympathetic reply. "How's your day been?" she asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Uh," he hesitated and she frowned. "I think it's best I just tell you about it later. Not really the place."

"Right." she nodded although clearly not too happy with his answer. "So, where you headed then?"

"Weed shop. Got some things to pick up before I head back to the club house. Plus it gave me a chance to head towards this part of town so I could come see you." he smirked.

Beth rolled her eyes at his sappiness but he could see the blush rising to her pale cheeks as she smiled. He loved making her blush. It made him feel like he was doing something right, like he was treating her right. He would always treat her right. Fuck, he loved her already. She was just such a damn good girl. She didn't smoke, like, at all - not even cigarettes. She definitely didn't do drugs. At most, she was a little too fond of booze but Juice didn't mind that. That part of her had settled a little since he'd started staying with her. He was aware that he had practically moved into her home but she had yet to complain and so he had assumed she was okay with it. Truthfully, he was beginning to realise that she needed him just as much as he needed her.

"When are you gonna be home tonight?" she asked, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

"Uh, probably around 10, why?" came his reply.

"Chloe asked if I'd give her friend a job so they could take turns doing mornings and afternoons. I don't really know the girl but she's a good friend of Chloe's so I didn't see a problem with it." she explained, her eyes lighting up a little more with every word.

"So?" he asked, already having a rough idea of where this conversation was going.

"I'll be straight home after work. And I won't have to go to the coffee shop."

Juice could feel the muscles in his face begin to ache as he smiled impossibly wide before grabbing her face and pressing a hard kiss to her lips. A soft moan slipped through her lips and he pulled back quickly before any urges attacked. Perhaps Beth's classroom was the wrong place for such emotion.

"I'll see you when I'm home." he smiled excitedly.

"Yeah, you will." she laughed, sliding her arms up around his neck. "You better not be late."

* * *

Angry was perhaps too weak a word to describe her current emotions. Furious, enraged, exasperated, lived: any of these words were much more fitting considering recent events. Honestly, how could one person get themselves in so much trouble in such a short amount of time? How stupid could one person be?! And yet, on the other hand, her heart was breaking. Of course, he hadn't meant for any of this to happen; this wasn't the kind of trouble you stumbled into but rather, the kind you in which you willingly partook in order to just stay alive. It wasn't his fault, she knew that but she had to be angry because at least there was still someone to be angry with.

Beth had been more than confused when she'd come home to a missed call from Roosevelt's office. Assuming, of course, that he was just chasing her up for order receipts, she had deleted his message without bothering to listen to it, nor did she call back. That was her first mistake. It wasn't until darkness set in and she was awake long past midnight, with still no sign of Juice, that she realised something was wrong. After bombarding his phone with an unsightly number of missed calls and texts, she had eventually decided to call Chibs. That was how she discovered that Clay had been shot and was badly hurt, having been rushed to hospital not too long before her call, after which Chibs explained that no one had seen Juice but that, naturally, the whole club was rather preoccupied with the shooting to be paying too much attention to AWOL members. And so, she assumed that Juice was probably on his way to the hospital. He was close to Clay and she knew he would be hurt by the news so she had decided to give him some space and let him return home when he was ready. That was her second mistake. Morning brought bright sunlight and a new day but still no Juice. Worry began to set in. Where the hell was he? What the hell was he doing? Couldn't he at least spare five seconds to give her a fucking call back? Apparently not. After a few hours of silence on his end, worry turned to anger. And then she got the phone call.

"Can you pick me up?" Beth mimicked rudely, her grip tightening on the steering wheel of her Camaro.

It was going on four and so she hadn't even had time to change after work before she received yet another call - this time from Stockton. And you should be on the other end of that line but Juice? Apparently, he'd been picked up just outside the weed shop and kept in overnight. He hadn't bothered to elaborate on his story which let her know it was something to do with the club. When he'd asked her to pick him up, his voice somewhat pleading, she'd told him to fuck off and hung up. After a good ten minutes of pacing and some serious ranting to herself, Beth now found herself pulling into the main car park at Stockton, the same place in which she'd first laid eyes on Juice. Stepping out of the car, for a moment, she paused and simply thought about how things had changed since that moment. The strange thing was, she wasn't entirely sure she regretted any of it. At all.

"Hey."

A voice sounded from across the car park, catching her attention. Immediately, her eyes flicked up to land on Juice, who was now jogging towards her. Once more, Beth felt anger bubble inside of her. As he drew nearer, she opened her mouth to start shouting at him but before she could, he had his hands on either side of her face and his body slammed into hers, trapping her against the car. Without a second of hesitation, his mouth crashed hard against hers and in that one kiss, she felt more genuine passion than she swore she'd ever felt in her life time. Reaching up, she wrapped her hands around his wrists but he paid no attention, instead deepening the kiss. With a moan, Beth barely managed to pull out of his grip, gasping breathlessly.

"God, I fucking missed you." he smiled wide, that genuine smile she loved.

"Aye, well seen you never bothered to tell you'd been lifted then!" she retorted, pushing at his chest to create distance between them.

"I what?" he simply laughed, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Never mind." she huffed, turning away from him and yanking open her car door. "Just get in the car." she added, sliding in herself.

As soon as she tugged the door shut, Juice's door opened and he slid himself into the car beside her, his smile still pasted firmly on his face despite her scowl. When he pulled his own door closed, Beth pulled out of the car park as fast as she could. Stockton was the last place she wanted to be. Truthfully, she just wanted to get home. Throughout the journey back to Charming, Juice repeatedly tried to talk to her but not once did she answer him, making for an incredibly awkward silence. He did eventually admit defeat and fall silent but that only made her feel bad because his smile fell away too. Still, she held her tongue, afraid of what she might say in the heat of the moment, especially if they were to argue.

When they arrived home, Juice got out of the car first. It was obvious he was upset by the fact she had blatantly ignored him and in all honestly, that made her feel shit. All this time, she was supposed to be the one person he could always talk to and she'd just given him the impression that wasn't true. When she unlocked the door, he moved past her quickly, immediately heading for their now shared bedroom. Beth followed him slowly, standing in the door way and watching as he removed his cut, throwing it onto the bed, dumped himself on the bed and began unlacing his boots in silence. A quiet sigh passed her lips and she carefully made her way towards him.

"I'm sorry." she spoke quietly, but he kept his eyes down, focused.

"I know you think I'm angry with you." she continued, moving to sit next to him on the bed. "If I'm being honest, I am angry with you." Another sigh. "I'm angry that you felt like you had no other choice but to make this deal with the police. I'm angry that you didn't feel like you could talk to me about it. I'm angry that you're still hurting." There was a stinging in her eyes now but Juice was now sitting still, eyes still down although clearly listening intently. "I'm angry, Juice, because I'm worried. I was so worried about you. I had no idea where you were and no one else seemed to know, and Clay had just been shot and all I could think about was what might've happened to you. I's angry because I was scared that you'd left me." Beth explained, her voice growing consistently quieter.

At that moment they switched places, he raising his eyes whilst she lowered hers. For a moment, neither of them quite sure what to say. And then he spoke.

"Clay got shot?" he asked.

"Ih you fuckin' serious?" she exploded, jumping to her feet and coming to stand in front of him, glaring down at him. "So I just go and spill ma guts tae ye and aw yer boather'd aboot is fuckin' Clay?" she practically screamed.

Juice frowned, which only made her angrier. Clearly, he hadn't understood a word she had said. Sometimes she forgot he didn't quite understand her slang. Most of the time he struggled to understand her accent or some of the words she used never mind when she forgot to make the effort to speak properly. Regardless, he stood quickly and she could see the anger in his own eyes.

"No, Beth, I'm not just thinking about Clay. Do you have any idea how hard it is to turn my back on the one thing I have? This club is the only thing I got and I had to start talking to the goddamn feds just to keep it from falling apart. You know what happens if Jax ever finds out? I'm dead- "

"Aw, you and yer club." she interrupted, stepping closer to him. "That fuckin' club is the only 'hing folk seem to gie a fuck aboot roon here."

"I give a fuck about you!" he yelled at her, also moving closer. "You think I wanted any of this? You think I wanted to drag you into this shit storm I call my life? Of course I didn't but- "

"But whit?" she interrupted again. "If ye didnae want tae, why'd ye dae it? Why'd ye involve me?" she demanded.

"Because I fucking love you!"

A hard silence filled the room, their heavy breaths the only sound. Beth's eyes widened and she leaned back in shock. The anger still rested in Juice's eyes but his facial features had relaxed. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, simply staring at each other in an attempt to comprehend everything that had not only just happened but that had happened since they met. Beth knew he meant what he'd said. She also knew she felt the same but how could that be? They barely knew each other. They'd only met a little over a month ago. Sure, they'd been through a lot of shit and they'd been there for each other but- there was no but. Maybe that was all there was. They were there for each other; they cared when no one else did; they loved when no one else would. Maybe that was all they needed.

"I love you, Beth." Juice repeated, this time softer and much more meaningful.

"D'you mean that?" she asked quietly despite already knowing the answer.

"I'll always mean it. I'll take it to my grave." he answered, and his voice left no room for doubt.

"I love you too." Beth spoke, her voice equally as soft and certain.

With a tremendous huff, Juice turned away, running a hand over his head. Quietly, she watched as he walked around the side of the bed. It was only now that she noticed a rolled up file sticking out of his back pocket. He pulled it out slowly and sat himself down on the opposite side of the bed, still facing away from her. Carefully, Beth climbed onto the bed, crawling over to him. Kneeling behind him, she gingerly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her body against his in order to look over at the file he now held open in his hands.

"Is that your dad?" she asked tentatively.

"Roosevelt gave it to me. It's the only thing that proves who he is," a pause, before, "that proves who I am."

"That's not who you are, Juice." Beth spoke, moving a hand to rest over his heart. "This is who you are." she concluded as he placed his hand over her's.

They stayed like that for a while, simply gazing at the picture. There was nothing particularly special about the man in the photograph. Yes, he was black but that didn't really matter. Other than their eye colour, her silly boy shared nothing in common with this man. She only hoped he could see that as well. Faintly, she heard a phone ringing. Juice's, as usual. He answered it after two or three rings. He spoke briefly which meant it was important.

"I gotta go." he sighed.

"Club business?" she asked and he merely nodded. "Do you have to go?"

"Yeah. Clay getting shot is gonna bring in a lot of change. I gotta be there for that." he explained.

Beth simply nodded but couldn't help feeling disappointed. She didn't want him to go, not when he'd only just come home. After a moment or two, she felt him move and so released him from her grip. Her eyes remained on him, watching in quiet awe as he ripped the file in half, setting it on her bedside table before standing. Roughly, he grabbed his cut, all the while not looking at her, as if he were afraid of what he might see. If she were being honest, she was afraid of what might see in him as well. Instead, Beth watched in silence as he stalked towards to door, leaving once more. The only difference was that this time, she knew he'd be back.


End file.
